


The Hand that Rules the World

by Icecat62



Series: Francesca & Benton Series [5]
Category: due South
Genre: Angst, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gen, Humor, Major Character Injury, Romance, Sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-03-04 01:53:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 274,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2904983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icecat62/pseuds/Icecat62
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A continuation of the Francesca and Benton saga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapters 1 to 25

**Author's Note:**

> Standard Disclaimer: due South and it's characters belong to Alliance. I just use them for fun. Hopefully they will return to their world unharmed and ready for other people to play with them.

The Hand that Rules the World Parts 1 to 25

Francesca sat on the sofa as she had many times before. Sitting with Fraser's arm around her shoulder, her head tucked on his chest, but as she looked at the ring on her finger she felt giddy. She wanted to get up and dance around the room. Here it was, her first Christmas night ever that she wasn't feeling depressed.

"Benton."

"Yes."

"When do you want to get married?"

Francesca could see Ray looking over at them. She nudged Fraser and whispered to him. "Play along with me."

She nodded slightly toward Ray.

Fraser glanced over. "No."

She smiled up at him. "Please."

He shook his head laughing softly. "You are a bad influence."

Would it really hurt him if he teased Ray a little? Francesca pouted at him.

"Okay."

She smiled again and gave Fraser a small hug. They spoke in normal tones once more.

"I really have no preference Francesca. What date would you like?"

She ran her hand over his chest as she spoke. "I was thinkin'...why don't we drive to Toronto next week, go look at the Falls and get married there. Let's elope! That way we can have a baby by September!"

"What?!" Ray's recliner snapped forward as he jumped in his seat. "Are you crazy?!"

Fraser turned his head away laughing. Francesca collapsed against him choking back her laughter.

"You two are sick! That is 'not' funny!"

"Oh my God Ray you should have seen your face!"

"Frannie that is not funny, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Fraser wiped tears from his eyes, still laughing at Ray. "I apologize Ray. I couldn't help it."

Ray glared at him. "She's ruined you Benny. In four short months she ruined you. You would have never done somethin' like this before."

Fraser took a deep breath finally calming himself down. No, Francesca didn't ruin him, she made him happy.

Fraser looked over at Ray. Why was he so against them getting married? Ray never would tell him why. "Ray."

"What?!"

"What if we did go to Toronto and get married next week. What would be so wrong about us doing that?"

*Oh geez, here we go again.*

"Benny, I've said it over and over again. You two need to slow things down a little. What's the rush?"

Fraser could think of a few reasons right off. Wanting to be with Francesca every night and morning. Wanting to start their family. "Ray there technically is no 'rush' as you have put it, but if we chose to get married next week, why should you object to it at all? How would it affect you?"

Ray sat staring at Fraser, trying to think of an answer, but he didn't have one. "It wouldn't affect me at all."

"Then that's that." Fraser cringed inwardly. *I can not believe it. I'm starting to sound like my father.*

Ray looked at Francesca. "You're not really gonna' elope are you Frannie?"

"No Ray. I would like to have a small wedding thank you."

"Good."

Ray sat back in his recliner, visibly relaxing. Why did it bother him so much? Why didn't he want them to get married? He didn't want to even try figuring it out. It would only give him a headache. 

**********

They sat on the sofa the remainder of the evening watching television and talking softly to one another. Fraser couldn't believe how tired he was. How did Ray keep up with his family? Spending a few days with the Vecchio's could prove to be an exhausting experience. That and the fact that Francesca was constantly keeping him up late were taking their toll on him. He could feel his body relaxing. *I had better go home.* "Francesca, I hate to leave, but I'm tired. I'm going to go home now."

She sat up giving him a worried look. "What do you mean you're goin' home?"

"I'm tired and I want to go to bed. It's been a long day."

"Why not stay here again?"

"I can't." He gave a slight nod in Ray's direction. "I promise I will come over in the morning. I'm not going to take my clothes or gifts back tonight plus Diefenbaker is asleep in Angelo's room." *I'm going to have to have a talk with him about that. He's spending too much time on Angelo's bed. He's getting soft.*

He watched as Francesca played with the ring on her finger. She looked like she was about to cry. "But I don't want you to go."

Fraser looked over at Ray. He could tell he was listening to them talk, no matter how hard he tried pretending he was watching the television. Fraser stood up, offering his hand to Francesca. "Come see me out."

He tried smiling at her, but it was a weak one. *I can't believe she and I are acting like this. It's not like we won't see each other again.*

Francesca took his hand and stood up beside him. She tried not letting Ray see how upset she was. He would probably start making fun of her.

Ray watched them leave the den. He sat fidgeting in his recliner. *Oh what the hell.* He got up and went to walk out into the foyer, but he stopped at the entrance of the den. *Why in the hell is Frannie cryin'?* He strained to hear them talk.

"Why can't you stay?"

"Francesca I have already told you why. I need to go home, I don't live here, you unfortunately do." Fraser hesitated before he continued speaking. "Why don't you come home with me?"

Ray couldn't believe what he was hearing. Basically the two of them were pleading and arguing with the other. One to stay. One to come.

"You know I can't, Ray would freak. He's being such an ass!"

*What! I'm being an ass?! Frannie you are so...*

"Francesca, Ray is not being an ass, he just worries about you. He's your brother. I'm sorry, I shouldn't keep asking you to stay the night."

"But I want to!"

Ray peeked out into the foyer. They were holding each other like it would be the last time that they would see one another. *God they are sickening!*

Fraser backed slightly away from Francesca, placing a hand on her face and wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "I will see you in the morning."

Francesca nodded her head yes and the burst into tears, hugging Fraser to her.

As Ray watched Fraser hold Francesca, softly stoking her hair, he made a decision. *I know what I'm doing is wrong, but...* Taking a deep breath he walked into the foyer. Fraser looked over at him questioningly, not moving away from Francesca. "Frannie."

Francesca lifted her head up from Fraser's chest to look at Ray. *What does he want?*

"Go."

She blinked in confusion. *Did I hear what I thought I did?*

Ray almost laughed at the two confused faces staring back at him. "Go. I'll cover for you if Ma asks where you are."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Ray reached over and grabbed Francesca's coat from the closet, walking over to her he helped her put it on.

She turned around and hugged Ray tightly. "Thanks."

Ray hugged her back. "I can't breath Frannie."

She let him go, laughing as she wiped a hand across her cheek.

"I expect to see the two of you back here for breakfast."

Fraser took Francesca by the hand, pulling her slowly to the door. "Yes Ray."

They said their good-byes and Ray closed the door. He couldn't resist taking a peek outside. He watched Francesca throw herself at Fraser. He caught her and they hugged one another laughing. Fraser set Francesca down and they began kissing. Ray tapped his foot in irritation. *How can they go at it for so long?*

He got tired of watching them kiss. As he walked away from the door he ran a hand over his head. "God help me get through this." 

**********

Francesca pulled her hand from Fraser's, throwing herself at him. As he caught her they both started laughing. "I can't believe Ray! He's finally gonna' stop being a grouch!"

Fraser set her down, pulling her to him and began kissing her. They stood intertwined. He finally broke the kiss off, hugging Francesca tightly to him, trying to regain some control over himself. *How does she manage to always do this to me?* He couldn't even attempt to walk it would be so uncomfortable.

Francesca whispered in his ear as he held her. "You wanna' do it on the porch?"

Putting his head on her shoulder he started laughing.

"Oh come on Benton! Let's do it!"

Francesca tried detaching herself from his grasp, but Fraser only held her tighter, not letting her move. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because someone may see us."

"Oh. So if no one could see us you would consider doin' it out here?"

Fraser stopped to think about what she had just said, which was a mistake on his part.

"I knew it! Come on!"

He didn't let her go.

"Benton let me go. I want to show you something. Please."

He laughed as he said it. "I don't trust you." 

"I said please."

Loosening his hold on her, Francesca grabbed his hand and started pulling him to the back of the house.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you walkin' so funny?" Francesca eyed Fraser and began giggling covering her mouth with her hand. "You're arguin' with me about doin' anything and you can't even walk your woody is so..."

"Francesca please!"

She laughed even harder as she pulled Fraser through the backyard. "Look at this." In the alley behind the house there was a huge pile of snow from where a plow had come through. "The kids did this."

The snow was dug out and piled up so that it was like a small room. "No one can see us." Francesca smiled brightly at Fraser, winking at him.

"No!"

She watched as his face took on a panicky expression.

"Oh come on. It's almost midnight. It's Christmas night. No one is gonna' be out here and it's too dark for anyone to see us anyway." She backed him up against the snow grabbing his crotch. "And I know you want me."

She pulled him by the neck flipping his stetson off onto a small pile of snow and began kissing him, pushing her body suggestively against his. Moving slightly away, she reached a hand into Fraser's jacket, pulling out his wallet. He reached for it, but she clutched it to her chest. "Nope. Can't have it. I bet you have a Lucky 13 in here don't ya'?"

Her eyes had already adjusted to the dark and with the moon shining on the snow she had no trouble seeing Fraser blush. "I knew it! You horny perv!"

"Francesca!"

"Ssssh! Not so loud. God Benton, do you want the whole neighborhood to hear us?"

She laughed softly. "At least I know I can finally count on you to be prepared."

Flipping the wallet open she plucked the Lucky 13 out, smiling as she did it. Then she folded the wallet back up and slipped it back into his jacket, patting his chest. "There. All safe and sound. Don't forget to replace this. You might consider puttin' two in there the next time."

Fraser could only stare at her dumbfounded. Francesca could be so aggressive.

"What's the matter Frase?" She started laughing at him, backing away the few feet that the little alcove allowed her. Putting her hand on her hip she spoke to Fraser in a low, sultry voice. "Don't be afraid."

She couldn't contain herself and began laughing hysterically. "I am so sorry Benton, I couldn't help it. The look on your face."

Fraser finally started grinning back at her.

*Yes! We're gonna' do it! I knew I could talk him into it!*

Francesca dropped the Lucky 13 into her coat pocket and held her arms out to Fraser. He stepped forward with his hands behind his back. Leaning down her kissed her, slowly backing her up against the snow. When he stepped away she was breathless, but now she was also curious.

"Why didn't you hug me?"

"I wanted to see if you would miss it."

"You are strange Benton."

"No Francesca, experimental would be the word you're looking for."

He looked at her trying to judge if she would want to play a little. "Try using anything but your hands and arms. You don't have to keep your arms behind you, just don't touch me with them."

"Try using anything...oh I get it. Perv. I'm game." *This is gonna' be interesting.*

"One moment please." Fraser reached over and unbuttoned Francesca's coat and unzipped his jacket. He then nodded at her.

*I guess that means the game has begun.*

Before she had a chance to move Fraser took a step forward, pushing her back into the snow, pinning her there with his body. She opened her mouth to say something and he raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head no.

Placing his hands against the snow on either side of her head, he leaned into her and kissed her. Slowly pushing his tongue into her mouth he gently explored her teeth, then he sucked at her tongue. Bring a leg up between her, he softly rubbed his thigh against her, increasing the pressure as he moved to her throat. He kissed her neck, biting a bit roughly, bringing his head to her breast he nipped at her through her sweater.

Just as Francesca was about to try and move again Fraser stood up leaning heavily against her so she couldn't move at all. Normally something like this would have sent her into a panic, but she trusted him with her life. Pushing himself away from her he noticed that she was regarding him calmly, but with a smirk on her face. Taking a step to him she placed her hand against his crotch and squeezed him.

"You've just broken the rules Francesca. No hands."

Smiling, she shoved Fraser hard, catching him off guard. He stumbled back against the snow. "And you broke the rules by talkin', so the game is a tie."

"Duly noted."

He quickly pushed himself away from the snow and grabbed Francesca, locking his arms around her. He was smiling tenderly down at her.

*He doesn't want to play anymore either.*

Their kisses were soft. Gently exploring one another they let themselves go, forgetting where they were. Francesca reached down to touch Fraser, pushing her hand against his erection as it strained against the material of his jeans.

She had always wondered how he had restrained himself all those years and now he could barely control himself. All it took was a deep kiss or a touch from her and he would become aroused. He definitely belonged to her. In the past few months that they had been together she had watched how he acted around other women. His total lack of interest in them made her feel secure and the way he offered himself to her without hesitation, she knew that he loved her.

"Benton."

"Hum." He was kissing her neck not really paying any attention to what she was saying.

"Can I warm my hands up on you?"

He didn't answer her as he nuzzled her hair. With a grin she slid her hands inside his shirt, pushing her palms flat against his chest. As he pulled back from her, she heard the sharp intake of his breath.

"Your hands are freezing!"

"I told you I wanted to warm my hands up on you. You're lucky I didn't choose another part of your body to do it on, but I figured if I did that you'd disappear."

Fraser stared at her confused.

"You'd pull a turtle on me."

"Francesca I do not mean to sound ignorant, but turtle?"

"You mean you don't know what it means to turtle?"

Fraser sighed. "No."

Francesca giggled. "Geez Benton, some of the stuff that you do know shocks the hell out of me, but the stuff you don't know..."

She shook her head. "When a guys turtles...have you ever looked at yourself when you're freezin' cold?"

Fraser's face was a complete blank, then he started laughing.

"I guess you figured it out."

"Yes."

He brought his hands underneath Francesca's sweater, laughing as she jumped back.

"Oh my God, you're hands are like ice!"

He ran his thumbs across her hardened nipples. "I believe you have what is called...headlights?"

Francesca snorted. "No Benton, high beams. And where did you hear that?"

"At the station. Dewey was talking about a prostitute that he had brought in. He said she had the biggest hooters that he had ever seen and that they had high beams. Francesca, why do they call breasts 'hooters'?"

Fraser stared at her waiting for an answer.

Francesca's smile was replaced by a frown. She ignored his question. "When did he say this to you?"

"This was some time ago. Before we had begun seeing one another." Fraser leaned forward and kissed her. "You don't have to beat him up again."

He kissed her again, feeling the smile on her lips as he did it. Sliding his hands down out of her sweater, Fraser undid Francesca's pants, putting his hands into her briefs he pushed them along with her pants down to her knees.

Kneeling in the snow he ran his hands along her thighs. Her skin was smooth and soft. Leaning into her he kissed the flesh where her hip and thigh met as he brought a hand up to stroke his fingers against her. He wanted to do more, but Francesca stopped him. She grasped his jacket by the shoulders and began to pull him up. He stood looking at her, then he whispered into her ear. "Why not?"

She laughed softly. "Because you want to do too much Benton. It's too cold out for us to be here for an hour."

He kissed her, feeling her hands go to his jeans, then unbuttoning them. She pushed away from him and pulled his boxers and jeans down as he had done to hers. As she slid up his body she paused to kiss his erection, running her hand along his thigh. As soon as she was standing, he pressed himself against her and kissed her neck, hearing her gasp as he bit her. Cold hands grabbed his erection.

"This is quite a hand warmer you have here Benton."

She pulled at him as he trailed kisses on her neck, reaching his own hand down he again stroked her with his fingers, feeling the wetness between her legs.

Francesca released her hold on Fraser as she pushed his hand away from her. Reaching into the pocket of her coat, taking the Lucky 13 out, she held it questioningly in front of him. Nodding his head yes he watched as her small hands caressed him before rolling it on. If she knew how much this simple act aroused him, she would have thought him to be crazy.

Fraser wrapped an arm around her waist, using the other to angle up one of her legs. It was an awkward position, but his having to do all of this to get to what he wanted made it seem erotic to him. Francesca guided him in and once they were joined she put her arms around his neck, kissing him hungrily. It was as if she were trying to consume him.

He pushed softly into her, making his strokes short. Francesca had been right. There was so much that he wanted to do with her, but couldn't. At least not here. They moved against one another for what seemed like an eternity, even though it was for only a few short minutes.

"Francesca." Fraser whispered in her ear and then kissed her neck. "I can't... I can't last much longer." *God she's so tight...so good.*

His arm clutched around her waist, pulling her to him as he increased his thrusts. Hearing her soft moans only seemed to push him closer to the edge.

Gritting his teeth Fraser tried to concentrate. She was the first woman that he had been with that he found he had trouble controlling himself. Everything about their lovemaking always felt so right. Francesca ran her hands under his shirt, pulling him to her as her orgasm washed over her. Her nails dug into his skin as she threw her head back, calling out his name. Through gritted teeth Fraser stifled a yell as he came, pushing Francesca back into the snow bank, pinning his arm behind her.

The position that they were in was now more uncomfortable than erotic. Fraser quickly withdrew, setting Francesca's leg down, rubbing her thigh gently. "I'm sorry Francesca, I didn't mean to hold you so tightly." He continued rubbing her thigh where the marks from his fingers were already turning to bruises.

"That's all right Benton, I didn't even feel you doing it." She tucked herself against him, shivering, trying to get warm. "Benton."

"Yes?"

Francesca paused taking a few deep breaths. "That was really good, but ...remind me that when it's this cold, let's stay inside from now on."

Pulling her away from the snow, he bent down and pulled her clothing back into place. Pulling the condom off he let it drop to the snow at his feet and then began trying to get his own jeans back on.

Francesca laughed at him as he tried to maneuver his still hardened penis back into his jeans. "Isn't that painful?"

Fraser smiled at her, biting his lip as he finally pushed himself in, struggling with cold fingers to zip his jeans. "No Francesca, it's not painful, it's...uncomfortable."

"I'm glad I don't have that problem."

He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm glad you don't either."

Francesca sniggered and pointed down at the half frozen Lucky 13 on the ground. "Don't forget that."

"Believe me Francesca, I would 'not' forget that." *Imagine if one of the children went running to Ray with it!* Picking it up Fraser felt in his pocket. "Do you have a tissue Francesca?"

She checked her pockets. "Yup. Here ya' go."

After disposing of the used Lucky 13 in the tissue, Fraser shoved it into his coat pocket. Picking up his stetson he brushed the snow from it and placed it on his head, holding a hand out to Francesca. "Now I am exhausted. May we go home?"

"Yes we can go 'home' Benton."

She smiled up at Fraser as she took his hand and they began their walk back to his house. 

**********

As they peeled their clothing off and got into bed Francesca started thinking. When would be a good time to get married? She didn't really want to wait. She was joking when she had suggested they drive up to Toronto, but now that she thought about it, it wasn't really that bad of an idea after all, but her mother would kill her if she eloped.

She started ticking off the months on her hand. January? Nah. Too close. She wouldn't even be able to find a dress. February? Ray would still bitch and that was when the family was supposed to go to Florida for two weeks. Her eyes widened.

*That's it! It's perfect!*

She looked at Fraser's peaceful form sleeping next to her. She felt bad for doing what she was about to do, but she had to know now. If she didn't she would never get to sleep.

"Benton." She pushed his shoulder. "Benton!" She shoved him hard several times.

His voice came out irritated and whiny. "What."

*He's so cute.*

Francesca pulled the comforter back and sat on his stomach, poking him in the chest repeatedly until Fraser open his eyes.

He squinted up at her, rubbing his eyes. His voice was thick as he spoke. "It can't be morning."

"It's not. I have to know Benton. Have you ever seen the ocean?"

*She woke me up for this?*

"Yes. I've seen the Pacific.

*He's seen ice.* "No silly! I mean the ocean. The beach! The Atlantic ocean Benton. Have you ever been to the shore?"

"No."

He stared at Francesca sleepily, his eyes slowly closing. Francesca shook him again and he jerked awake.

"Well you're gonna' get to see the shore Benton 'cause that's where we're gonna' spend our honeymoon. We'll get married in February and go with the family to Florida for two weeks. How does that sound?"

Francesca excitedly grabbed Fraser by the face and kissed him. He reached up and pulled Francesca off of him, wrapping his body around hers, he nuzzled her neck. "That's fine. Go to sleep."

Francesca could tell that Fraser hadn't really been listening to her. She knew that she would have to explain it all to him again in the morning. She kissed his arm that held her and tried sleeping, listening to the rhythm of his deep breathing. She had so much to plan and now she had less than two months to get it all done. 

*********

Ray stood in the kitchen, the phone to his ear. He called Fraser's house and had let it ring twenty times already. Hanging it up he tried to decide if he should go over and check on the two of them. It was almost eight-thirty and Francesca and Fraser had said that they would be over for breakfast. 

*Benny wouldn't have just not showed up. The last time he pulled that was when Victoria..."* Ray became slightly panicky. *Something's wrong!*

Mrs. Vecchio was sitting at the kitchen table watching Ray as she ate her toast and drank a cup of coffee. She hadn't asked where Francesca was.

*I'm gonna' go. I havefta' see if they're okay.* "Ma, I'm gonna' go over to Benny's and see if he wants to come over and have breakfast with us."

Mrs. Vecchio looked up from her cup and smiled at Ray, nodding her head. "Ask Francesca if she would like to come too."

Ray's mouth dropped open.

"Raymondo close your mouth and go get them. Thank you."

"Yes Ma."

Ray walked out of the kitchen in a daze. How did his mother know? 

**********

Pulling in front of Fraser's house Ray turned off the engine of the Riv. He tapped the steering wheel with his fingers. *Just go and knock on the door.*

He got out and walked up to the quiet house, rapping lightly at the door. Then he pounded on it. No answer. Fraser had given him a key, but he tried the knob first. *Shit! Frannie said that Benny was supposed to lock the door.*

Opening the door slowly, Ray walked into the living room. "Benny?!"

No answer. Ray walked though the whole downstairs, checking the back door. It was locked. Nothing seemed amiss, but neither Fraser nor Francesca had answered him. Drawing his gun Ray walked cautiously up the stairs. Holding his breath he walked through the short hallway. He approached Fraser's bedroom. *Dear God let them be okay.*

Ray stepped into the room. "Aw geez!"

The pair laid curled against one another. Fraser's white skin contrasted with Francesca's olive toned coloring. Ray blinked when he noticed the bruises on Francesca's thigh. Looking at Fraser he blinked again. *Damn Benny's hung.*

He could feel the shame wash over him as he realized that he was gawking at the naked bodies of his best friend and his sister. Ray quickly turned around, his back to the room.

It was bad enough catching them having sex, it was more of a blur than a distinct memory, but he really got a good look at the pair this time. He shook his head trying to get their images out of his mind. *Come on, think of something.*

The only things he could see in his mind were the bruises on his sister's leg and the size of Fraser's... *Stop it! Come on! Think of something else!* "Benny! Yo Benny!"

Ray pounded the butt end of his gun on the door jam. "Benny!" Ray heard movement behind him.

"Ray?"

It seemed like it only took a second, but Fraser was standing right next to him.

"What's wrong?!"

Fraser was staring at him with a worried expression, noting the gun in Ray's hand.

Now Francesca was awake. "Ray what are you doing here?"

Ray glanced at Fraser looking downward. "Benny could you put some clothes on."

Fraser looked down at himself and turned pink with embarrassment. He hadn't even thought about him standing next to Ray naked. "Oh dear. Excuse me."

He could hear Fraser pulling his jeans on and zipping them up. "Is it safe to turn around?"

Fraser looked at Francesca to make sure that she was covered. "Yes Ray."

As Ray turned around he glared at Fraser. "Why in the hell didn't you answer your phone!? Or the door!?"

Fraser sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Francesca looking at Ray sheepishly. "I...didn't hear it or you. I was asleep."

"What about you Frannie?"

"We went to bed kinda' late. I guess we were both so tired we didn't hear anything. Sorry."

"How can the two of you be so tired? You left the house at eleven-thirty. You weren't up that..." Ray's voice trailed off. "Oh I get it. You two rabbits were out humping in the snow."

Ray was only teasing them, but when they both turned and looked at each other and then back at him, they both looked guilty. Francesca managed to squeak out a reply. "You saw us?"

Ray's eyes grew wide. "You did not!"

Fraser turned a deep red fingering the comforter nervously. "I thought you said that no one could see us Francesca?"

"No one could unless they were spying on us!" Francesca stared back at Ray angrily.

"I wasn't spying on you Frannie, I don't even know what you did." Ray made a disgusted face. "You two did it outside? In the snow?"

Fraser didn't look up at Ray as he spoke. "Yes Ray."

"What is wrong with you Benny?! When are you gonna' start thinkin'?"

"Ray lay off!"

"No Frannie. He needs to learn how to say no to you."

"Excuse me Ray."

"What?"

"What if I don't want to say no?"

Ray stared at him in disbelief. "You need to learn to say no. What happens if you and Frannie get caught somewhere in public? How's that gonna' effect you job wise? Does the RCMP like exhibitionists?"

"No they don't Ray, but we haven't really done anything dangerous."

Ray threw his hands up. "I give up. Go get a shower Thumper, Ma wants to see you two at breakfast."

*That got Frannie's attention.*

"Both of us?"

"I don't know how she knows, but she knows."

"Your mother knows what Ray?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "She knows that Frannie is here sleepin' with you."

"Oh."

"Ray did you tell her?"

"Are you nuts Frannie? Of course I didn't tell her! What did you think I did? Say hey Ma, Frannie's at Benny's getting laid?"

Fraser was looking at Ray rather miffed. "Ray was that really necessary? Why do you feel the need to degrade everything about our relationship? I'm sorry Francesca is your sister. I'm sorry our having sex bothers you, but I'm not sorry that I love her."

Ray sighed. "Benny, I'm not against you and Frannie. All I know is that four months ago you were just two people who didn't associate very much with each other and now you're gettin' married. That's too fast."

"Ray."

"Yeah Frannie?"

"It's gonna' go even faster."

Ray gave her a curious look. *What does she mean faster?*

"I picked a date for the wedding."

"Yeah? When is it? This week in Toronto?"

"No. The first week in February. At St. Micheals."

"What?!"

As Ray took a step toward Francesca, Fraser stood and blocked him from getting near her. He raised an eyebrow at Ray. "Is there a problem with that Ray?"

*Geez, Benny's actin' just like I did when Pop use to go after Frannie. Did I look that bad?* Ray took a step back. "A problem? Oh there's no problem at all." Ray looked over Fraser's shoulder at Francesca. "Are you sure about that date?"

"Yes I'm sure. We want to get married. I'm tired of sneaking around, I'm tired of not gettin' to see Benton when I want to. The sooner we get married the better. And Ray...the moment Father Behan marries us is the moment were gonna' start tryin' to have a baby. Does that answer all of your questions?"

"Yes I guess it does."

Francesca looked around Fraser at Ray. It felt good knowing that Fraser wasn't going to let anything ever happen to her. He definitely was not like the Pig. "Are we gonna' hear anymore complaints from you?"

"Nope. This is the last that you're gonna' hear me say anything about it."

Francesca grinned. "I doubt it Ray. You worry too much. You're gonna' crab as I walk down the isle."

"Benton, go and get your shower, I'll get your clothes out."

Fraser gave Ray one last look as he walked out of the room.

"Frannie..."

"Wait a second Ray. Could you please turn around."

Francesca dressed in her clothes from yesterday. *I really need to start bringing some of my stuff over here.* "Okay you can turn around now."

Ray turned to see Francesca making the bed. "Can you grab that end Ray. Thanks."

Francesca then began picking out clothes for Fraser.

"What do you think you're doin'?"

"What does it look like Ray? I gettin' his clothes out."

"You know where all of his stuff is?"

Francesca looked at Ray like he was stupid. "Yeah."

*Geez. They're actin' like they're married already.* "Frannie let's backtrack here. Are you sure about all of this? Gettin' married and havin' kids is a big step."

"Ray, if I weren't sure I wouldn't have said yes to him." She grinned. "No matter how cute he is."

"I'm serious Frannie."

"So am I Ray. Benton is it. 'Til death do us part."

Fraser walked back into the room wearing only a towel, his hair still wet. He looked at Francesca, then back at Ray. "Could you please turn around Ray."

"Why? I've already seen everything. And why does Frannie get to look?"

"Ray please."

"Okay. Ya' know by the time we get back home it's gonna' be lunch."

Francesca stood up next to Fraser the moment Ray turned around. Removing the towel from Fraser she placed one hand on his chest, slipping her other hand around his penis as she reached up and kissed him. To her surprise he didn't try to move her hand. He only kissed her back and smiled at her as he slowly moved himself against her hand. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "If he knew we were doing this he would die." They both started laughing.

"What are you two doin'?"

"Nothing Ray. Please don't turn around, I'm not dressed."

"Yeah I can tell. I haven't heard you puttin' on any clothes."

Francesca kissed Fraser again slowly tugging at him, feeling him beginning to harden. *I can't believe he's lettin' me do this!*

She felt his hand stopping her. She released her hold and handed him his boxers, giggling as he slid them on, his aroused state clearly evident. Fraser only smiled back at her as he continued dressing.

"Can I turn around now."

"No Ray."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to give Francesca a kiss and you would only protest it."

"Aw come on Benny, knock it off."

"Just one more minute Ray. Please." Fraser pulled Francesca to him kissing her deeply, feeling her tongue touching his. Pulling apart they grinned at each other. "You can turn around now Ray."

Fraser had sat back down on the bed, bending over tying his boots. He took a few deep breaths calming himself down. Luckily he had stopped Francesca before he had gotten himself too far along. He felt guilty for doing what he had just done, but he also felt a slight thrill. He had said that they hadn't done anything dangerous. Now that they had...well he didn't see what Ray had been so mad about.

As soon as he stood up Francesca grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room. They ran down the stairs. Francesca yelled back to Ray. "Don't forget to lock the door Ray!"

His voice could be heard yelling from the room. "Aw come on Frannie!"

By the time Ray got out of the house he could see the pair jogging down the street. He could tell they were laughing. Ray shook his head smiling. "Crazy. They are just plain crazy." 

**********

Fraser and Francesca ran down the street, laughing the entire way. Francesca pulled Fraser to a stop, trying to catch her breath. "I can't believe you! What were you thinkin' up there?"

"I was thinking of a lot of things Francesca, but Ray was there."

"And to think I ever thought you were innocent. What if he would've turned around?"

"He wouldn't have. I believe that Ray knows better. He's almost afraid of what we may do now."

Francesca laughed again. "I know."

She took another deep breath. "You know he saw us naked. That sorta' bothers me. What if he saw my bruises?"

She watched as Fraser's face took on a pained look and he held her hands in his.

"I am sorry, I didn't realize that I had been holding you so tight. I never meant to hurt you."

Francesca took one of her hands from his and lightly touched his face. "Benton, you would never hurt me. I didn't feel it, for obvious reasons."

He smiled down at her shyly. "I know, but they do look bad."

Francesca decided she needed to change the subject. He looked so hurt. *You would've thought he'd beaten me instead of havin' sex with me.* "Benton."

He looked at her noticing the teasing smile on her lips. "Ray knows how big you are now."

His face turned a bright red. "I am not 'that' big."

Francesca giggled. "No, you're not the size of one of those porn guys, but believe me, you're bigger than what I've ever seen."

"Francesca!"

"Well it's the truth. You can't stand there and tell me you're average. You've seen other guys haven't you?"

"Yes, but that is not the point."

"Just take the compliment Benton. God, any other guy I know would be runnin' around braggin' if they had a di..."

He put a hand up to her mouth stopping her from talking. She licked his hand, watching him grin back at her. Pushing his hand away she hugged him. "Ray is gonna' drive up here and ask us if we want a ride. Do you want to be rude and say no or do you wanna' go with him?"

"We should ride with him."

"Even though he's been rude to you?"

"Francesca, Ray has not been rude. He's...I'm not sure. I wish I could figure out why he doesn't want us together."

She squeezed his hand.

"It's not that he doesn't want 'us' together. He can't accept the fact that we're doing everything so fast. He doesn't like change. Plus he can't stand the idea of us doin' it. That's the best part!"

Francesca snickered. "He's so uptight because he hasn't gotten any in so long. He's backed up."

"Francesca that's your brother you're talking about!"

"Well it's true Benton. He's doing what you did before you started goin' out with me." Francesca made a stroking gesture with her hand, delighted in the fact that she could still get Fraser embarrassed.

"That's not very nice."

"Then why are you laughin'?"

Fraser reached over and hugged her, giving her a kiss. "I'm laughing because I can't believe the things that come from you. You are so unpredictable."

"I know I am and that's why you love me."

Francesca caught him looking down the street at Ray getting into the Riv. "What are you thinkin' Benton?"

Fraser was grinning. "Would you be willing to help me?"

"Benton Fraser are you up to somethin'? What are you gonna' do to Ray?"

Fraser's grin turned into a devious smile. "I'm not going to do anything to him. More like for him."

Francesca looked at Fraser smiling back at him. "What does that mean?"

"How would you like to help me solve Ray's little problem?"

"What problem?"

Fraser looked around and repeated Francesca's gesture.

"What? You're gonna' get him a prostitute?!"

Fraser made a incredulous face at her. "No! Sometimes I wonder about you. I'm talking about setting Ray up. On a date."

"Then that's the same thing. You want to get Ray a woman. Who?"

"I'm not exactly going to 'get' him a woman Francesca. I want to get him out on a date. He's just as bad as I use to be. All he does is sit in his recliner and watch television. He needs to get out."

"I can't believe it. You of all people playing matchmaker."

"I just want him to be as happy as I am Francesca."

"I knew there was a reason why I love you so much. You are always thinkin' of other people. You're too cute for words." Francesca reached up and hugged Fraser tightly, kissing him deeply, only to be startled by the honking of a car horn.

It was Ray. The passenger side window rolled down and Ray yelled out the window. "Get in the car! You don't need to let the whole neighborhood see you."

"Yes Ray."

Francesca kissed Fraser once more and whispered to him. "We'll talk more about this later."

She couldn't wait to start planning a date for Ray, but who in the hell did Fraser have in mind? It wasn't like he really knew a lot of women. Well...there were a lot of women, but he didn't associate with them. *Who could it be?* 

**********

It was getting closer to lunch than breakfast by the time they got to the Vecchio home and sat down in the kitchen.

"Good morning Ma."

"Good morning Benton, good morning Francesca. How did you sleep at Benton's?"

Francesca peeked a look at Fraser and bit her lip. "I slept fine Ma."

"Have you two discussed a date for the wedding?"

*She's not angry at me!* "Sorta'. Benton was half asleep when I told him when I'd like us to get married."

Fraser reached under the table and held her hand. "I remember. You said February."

Maria who had walked over to the counter to make some coffee shrieked. "February!? Frannie how are you gonna' organize a wedding in that short of a time?"

Francesca waved her off. "Don't worry, I've already though it through. I'll make it a small wedding. Just close family and friends. It's not like I haven't been married before."

"What about Benton? He's never been married before. Have you?"

They all turned to stare at him.

"No I have not been married, but I believe that the wedding is supposed to be decided by the bride. I really have no wish for a large ceremony."

"That settles that. There's a place in town called Lady Kate's Bridal Salon. They have a huge selection of gowns and dresses so I'm pretty sure I can find my gown and yours and Ma's dresses there. As for the flowers, if I make the order small and do it now, that's solved. And I saw a little quick print place in town where I can get the invitations done."

"What about the church and the hall Frannie?"

Francesca rolled her eyes. "Maria use your brain. How many wedding have you seen in February?"

Maria smiled at her sister. "You have a point there. I bet Father Behan could fit you in with no problem. Especially when he sees who you're marryin'."

Fraser looked at Maria as he nudged Francesca. "What does that mean?"

Francesca grinned at him. "Father Behan likes you. For a non-Catholic you're not bad, plus when he find out how many kids we want he'll really like us. We're gonna' increase the Catholic population."

Francesca sat for a second. *Shit! I forgot about that.* "Uh Benton...have you ever thought about converting to the Catholic religion?"

Fraser looked at Francesca, then at the expectant faces of everyone else. Especially Mrs. Vecchio. "I don't see how I could convert. I'm really not of any specific faith such as your family."

"You don't believe in God?"

"No Francesca that's not it. I believe that there is a higher power, but not as specific as the Catholic religion has set down. I have never really attended a church except for St. Michael's."

"Oh. Then technically you could be called a Catholic, but we would have to go through precana classes. Would you mind that?"

"What are the classes for?"

"I think we should discuss this with Father Behan first. He's more qualified to explain it all to you."

"Ah."

"You know Frannie, I think all of this will work."

Maria was grinning at Francesca and in turn Francesca looked at Fraser. "If you don't mind, Maria and I are gonna' make some runs today."

"Francesca, do whatever needs to be done, but I need to know what I have to do."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Since you look so damn good in it, how about you wear your dress reds?"

Fraser nodded yes.

"And Ray, we'll have to have you get fitted for a tux."

Ray smiled broadly. "Hey I'm game. I look great in a tux."

Everyone now looked at Francesca waiting for her to continue. "That's it. I told you it would be easy. I've thought it all through."

Maria had her hand on her hip, smiling evilly at Francesca. "Uh Frannie...what about the honeymoon?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Francesca squeezed Fraser's hand under the table noting his discomfort at the way Maria's made her comment. "I've taken care of that too. Since the family is gonna' all go to Florida in February I figured we could spend our honeymoon there. Benton's never seen the ocean."

"Francesca I told you I have..."

"No you haven't. You've seen ice flows and penguins."

"Francesca there are no penguins..."

"Benton, you have never laid out in the sun! I mean don't get me wrong, you're beautiful, but when was the last time your skin saw the light of day?"

She grinned as Fraser tucked his head down not looking at her. "Benton, you look like a marble statue."

"She's got you there Benny." Ray snickered.

Maria turned to Ray with a lewd grin. "And how would you know what Benton looks like naked? Has everyone seen him but me?"

Fraser turned a deep red and moved to get up from the table only to have Francesca grab him by the arm and hold him down.

Mrs. Vecchio noticed that her children were only teasing Fraser in fun, but her adopted son was taking it all too seriously. His feelings were about to get hurt if she let it continue. "That is enough teasing."

Ray and Maria looked guiltily at their mother and then at Fraser who was sitting stiffly at the table.

"Sorry Benny."

"Yeah, I'm sorry Benton. We keep forgetting you're still not use to all of this. You're like a goldfish swimming with a bunch of piranhas here."

Fraser sighed. "No I apologize. It's..." Fraser paused. It's what? He wasn't really sure what to say. "I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders and sat quietly looking at the top of the table.

Francesca hugged him. "I bet I know what it is. You never had anyone torment you as a kid. I bet your grandparents never played with you or teased you. Did they?"

Fraser concentrated. He couldn't remember any playful teasing. The only memories that came to mind were their reprimands. The correcting of his mistakes. He knew that he grandparents loved him in their own strange way, but it was an empty love. No teasing. No hugs. No kisses. No laughter. He realized that he was holding his breath and he exhaled sharply. He frowned as he spoke. "No they didn't."

How did they go from discussing the wedding to this. "Could we talk about something else please."

Ray looked at Fraser sadly. *The more I know about him, the more I find out how fucked up his childhood was. No wonder he has trouble expressing himself. Jesus.* "Sure Benny. How about the rings Frannie?"

Fraser looked at Francesca. "Rings?"

"Yeah Benton. The wedding bands. Yours and mine. I have to have somethin' on you to let women know that you're off the market once we get married."

"I believe that I am 'off the market' now."

"You may know that you are, but those bitc...women won't back off unless they see that you're marked."

Maria chuckled. "And with the way you look Benton, even a ring on your finger isn't gonna' stop them from goin' after you."

"Maria!"

"I'm only tellin' him the truth Frannie. At least he'll be prepared for it. They're still gonna' want to have sex with..."

"Hellooooo!" Ray waved his hand at them. "Let's not get off the subject again." He noticed Fraser was getting that panicky look. "How about Benny and I take care of gettin' my tux and the rings."

"But I wanted to pick them out!"

"Frannie you're doing enough. Don't you think Benny has good taste in jewelry. I mean look at the ring he got you."

Francesca looked at her engagement ring as it sparkled on her finger. "Yeah he does have good taste." She hugged Fraser and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Fraser smiled at her. "Thank you kindly Francesca."

"I think we need to finish with breakfast and get movin'. We'll all meet back here for dinner then." 

**********

Fraser and Ray were driving toward the center of town to go and look for the rings.

"It's gonna' be a mad house Benny."

"What is Ray?"

"Shoppin' today. The day after Christmas."

Fraser looked at him for an explanation.

"Have you ever...no forget it. You really haven't done much of anything holiday related have you?"

"No Ray."

"Then you're in for a lot of fun with Frannie. She loves to over do the holidays."

Fraser found himself smiling. Francesca loved to over do everything! That was one of the many things that he loved about her.

"What are you smilin' about?"

"Nothing Ray."

Ray laughed at Fraser. "You really are lovesick Benny. Is Frannie the only thing that you think about anymore?"

Fraser couldn't help grinning as he looked out the passenger window. "Yes Ray."

Ray drove in silence for a while, but as he glanced at Fraser he found himself trying to figure him out. *What ever possessed him to let Frannie talk him into doing it in the snow?* Ray couldn't believe what he was about to do. "Benny?"

"Yes Ray." Fraser looked over at him.

*If he didn't look so damned innocent, I guess I wouldn't be as shocked.* "How could you let Frannie...how come..." *Just spit it out!* "How could you let Frannie talk you into doin' it outside in the snow?"

Fraser's head snapped forward. *Oh my! Ray is asking me about sex. With Francesca!* He could feel what was becoming an ever present flush on his face. His chest tightened and he was having trouble breathing. *Take a deep breath. Calm down. Don't go and hyperventilate.* He picked at the cuff on his jacket. "She had wanted us to..." Fraser gestured weakly with his hands, not looking at Ray. "...on the porch, but I said no."

"On the porch? Is she nuts!?"

Fraser couldn't help it. He grinned. "No she's very creative." Fraser cringed when he realize what he had said.

Ray looked at Fraser, then back at the road. *Did he say creative?* "But the snow Benny?"

"She suggested...well she took me to...and then she suggested...we...you know."

"Weren't you...freezing?"

Fraser shook his head no, closing his eyes at the memory. No he hadn't been freezing. He had been warm. She was so hot and tight. God... Fraser's eyes snapped open. His breathing had increased and he noticed his jeans were getting a bit snug in a most inappropriate area. He quickly set his hands in his lap trying to regain some control over himself. *This is not good. All I have to do is think about her and I'm reduced to this.*

Ray looked over at Fraser. *Geez, he's gettin' all worked up just thinkin' about it. What in the hell did they do?* "You really did it outside in the snow?"

"Yes Ray." Fraser swallowed, taking a deep breath.

Ray tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. *Since I'm askin' him this stuff I might as well.* "Benny?"

*What is he going to ask me now?*

"Yes Ray?"

"Besides Frannie and...Victoria, did you have a lot of girlfriends? Before you came to Chicago?"

Fraser burst out laughing, then covered his mouth wih one of his hands. *Uh oh.* He quickly looked out the passenger side window again praying that Ray wouldn't ask him anymore questions.

Ray blinked and looked out the windshield. "Uh Benny. Is that a yes or a no?"

Fraser was now beat red, trying not to laugh, but also feeling nervous as hell. He had never discussed his sex life with anyone before. Francesca knew something of it, but no one else did. If he had a brother would he talk to him about this? He glanced at Ray. Ray was his brother. Maybe not by blood, but he 'was' his brother.

Fraser exhaled nervously. "Ray you have got to promise me that you will never talk to anyone about this. Especially Maria or Francesca. I will eventually tell Francesca. She has some...knowledge of this anyway."

*Crap! What is he gonna' tell me?!*

Not looking at Ray, he cleared his throat. Biting his lower lip he felt his face grow hot again. "I...really didn't have what you would call a girlfriend Ray. They were more like...acquaintances. And they occurred years ago. When I was much younger, I went through what you would call a...phase."

Ray narrowed his eyes. "A phase? How old were you?"

"Somewhere between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-four. It stopped when I met Victoria."

"And what did you do? Would you just date them once or twice, then dump the girl?"

Fraser winced. "I never actually dated them Ray. We would just...have sex."

Ray almost slammed on his brakes, but he caught himself. "What?!! You?! You did...you did not! You did one nighters?!" Ray was in shock.

"Well I was rather young."

"But you?"

"I am only human Ray. I basically had these women...offering themselves to me."

"And you took them up on their offers?"

"Yes. It's not something that I'm proud of."

"But at the time..."

"At the time it was all rather...interesting."

Ray snickered. "Yeah I bet it was." Ray tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, giving Fraser a sideways glance. "I know it's none of my business and I know you've told me more than I'd ever think I'd hear from yo, but during that 'time' did you ever...do it with...more than one woman at a time?"

"Ray!"

"Did you?"

Fraser looked at Ray. "Have you?"

"You know we sound like a couple of high school kids talkin' behind the gym."

Fraser had relaxed to the point that he smiled at Ray. "I never went to high school Ray so I wouldn't know about that. All of my exams were flown in."

"You were home schooled?"

"Most of the time, yes. "

Ray grinned. "You're tryin' to change the subject."

"You didn't answer me either Ray."

"Okay Benny...no I never did it with more than one woman at a time. Now it's your turn."

Fraser didn't answer him.

"Aw come on Benny, I told you about me, now spit it out. Did you?"

"Yes."

"Yes?! What was it like?"

Ray was looking at Fraser wide eyed.

"Ray! I'm not going to tell you the details thank you. It was...unusual to say the least. I wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea at first but once we...well it was...fun."

"Damn. To look at you no one would ever think that you did anything like that."

"What do you mean?"

Ray laughed. "Half the station thinks you're a virgin and the other half thinks you're gay and when they see you with Frannie they get really confused."

"That I am not surprised to hear. When Francesca came to my apartment that time she thought that I was inexper..." Fraser stopped talking in mid sentence.

"Aw come on Benny, why can't you tell me? Did you and Frannie...you know? Did you two do it then?"

"I can't tell you Ray. We have discussed this before. You will have to ask Francesca."

"Oh so you'll tell me you did it with two women, but you can't tell me if you and Frannie did it then. What's the difference? You two are constantly goin' at it now. It's no big secret."

"I'm not telling you Ray."

Ray was silent, then he grinned. "Have you ever done it with a guy?"

Ray watched as Fraser hesitated, then looked at him. "No Ray. I have had numerous offers presented to me, but I have turned them down. For some reason I do not find men attractive."

"It's because you're straight Benny."

Fraser ran his thumb over his brow. "There was this field guide that I had considered experimenting with. I was curious. I wanted to know what it would have felt like, but I couldn't do it. I knew that he wanted a relationship with me. It wouldn't have been just sex to him."

"So you were a pig back then, but you were a considerate pig."

"Ray I was not a pig. I was..."

"Horny?"

Fraser smiled slightly. "If you want to put it that way.

"And now you're a rabbit."

"Ray that is not funny."

"So let me get this straight. When you met Victoria you stopped having sex. Cold turkey."

"Cold turkey?"

"Right then and there, you met her and never had sex with anyone again. You were celibate."

Fraser nodded his head yes. "I waited for her Ray. For ten years I waited for her." Fraser grew silent.

"Benny...she's dead. She's part of your past. You have Frannie now. She's your future."

"I know. I just hope I never disappoint her."

Ray laughed loudly at him. "You? Disappoint Frannie? Yeah right! She's been after you since day one Benny. I don't think that will ever happen especially since you always give in to her."

"I do not always give in to her Ray."

"Uh huh."

As they pulled into the parking garage Fraser smiled at Ray. "How come I feel as though I have been to confession with Father Behan?"

"You never told anyone about this stuff? Not even your dad?"

"Dear lord no. I could never talk to my dad about this. He would have shot me for disgracing the uniform!"

"Do 'you' feel like you disgraced the uniform Benny?"

Fraser tugged at his earlobe. "Technically I didn't. I never wore the uniform while I...did anything."

"You are too much Benny." Ray smile slightly. "You know Maria was right about you."

Fraser looked at Ray apprehensively.

"She said that you needed someone to talk to about this stuff. She was right."

"I must admit it does feel good to have finally told someone."

Ray smiled at Fraser. *Yeah and he told me first not Frannie!*

Ray found a space and pulled the Riv into it and turned off the engine. He looked at Fraser grinning evilly at him. "Okay, time to go and hunt for the rings. Are you ready to experience the hell that is the day after Christmas?"

Fraser found himself smiling back at him. "Of course Ray. I am a Mountie. I am prepared for anything." 

**********

As they walked through the mall Ray observed Fraser. He was looking at everything and everyone. "It's a hell house isn't it Benny."

"I believe that is an understatement Ray."

All of the happy pre-Christmas shoppers were now yelling and pushing. Life was back to normal in Chicago.

"It's this store Ray."

"You bought Frannie's ring here?"

"Yes. I shopped around and found this store to be the most reasonable. It's amazing how expensive a ring can be."

"Hey you didn't have to get her one that big."

"I know Ray, but I wanted Francesca to have something nice. She deserved it."

"She deserved it? Are we talkin' about the same person? All she did was nag you for two years to go out with her."

Fraser thought about those two years. Wasted because of his being afraid to take a chance with losing his friendship with Ray by dating his little sister. "She put up with me running from her and making her feel like something was wrong with her, when it was all my fault. She waited for me Ray. For two years she put her life on hold waiting for me. I never tried to encourage her. If she wasn't so stubborn we wouldn't be together now." Shaking his head he smiled. "Believe me when I say this. She deserved more than what I gave her."

Fraser slowly walked along the display case looking at the bands. Gold, platinum, silver. There were too many to choose from. He had never thought about wearing a wedding band. He hope that Francesca was right. That when he wore it, other women would leave him alone. He was getting tired of being chased.

He looked down at the bottom level of a case and smiled. "I found them Ray."

Ray walked over from a display of watches that he had been looking at. "That was fast. Which ones?"

Fraser crouched down and pointed at a set of bands.

"Nice, but don't you think they're a little fancy for you?"

"It doesn't matter. Francesca will like them." He stood up and waited for the salesperson to come over.

"Are you sure Benny?"

"I'm positive."

The salesperson came over and brought the rings out so that he could take a closer look at them. Fraser smiled as he turned one of the rings over in his hand. The gold band was a medium width, but the design in the metal is what had caught his eye. The same ivy vines. Like those on the headboard that he had found. Francesca would be pleased.

"I'll take them."

He gave the salesperson Francesca's ring size, then he looked at his own hand and gave his size as well.

"You didn't know your own ring size Benny?"

He could tell that Ray was teasing him. "No Ray. Unlike you I don't wear jewelry."

"You will now."

After taking care of the necessary paperwork they turned to leave the store, but Fraser put out a hand to stop Ray. He lowered his voice. "Ray, that man over there next to the clock. With the blue jacket. He has a gun."

Ray looked casually over and saw him. "Yes he does."

The man with the gun was fidgety. He walked back and fourth along a display case.

"Maybe we should approach him and question him about his weapon Ray. It is concealed and he looks as if he may be preparing to use it."

"My thoughts exactly Benny." *It's my day off and I have to have some fruitcake in the same store with me.*

They slowly approached the man, one on either side of him.

"Excuse me sir, can I help you."

"No!"

As the man reached for his weapon Fraser grabbed his arm and pushed his head down on the case. "Please do not resist sir."

Ray reached around them and pulled the weapon from the man, then brought out his police badge shoving it in his face. "Chicago P.D., Detective Vecchio. Don't move."

"What is going on here?" A man who appeared to be the store manager came over to them looking distraught.

Ray held up the gun and his badge watching the manager blanch. "This guy had a concealed weapon and he was actin' suspicious."

As the manager looked at the man held down by Fraser his eyes widened. "You! This person has been here several times threatening me. I wouldn't give him a refund on a piece of jewelry. His girlfriend didn't want it and he tried to bring it back."

Ray held the gun up again, watching the manager turn white. "Do you want to press charges?"

"I most certainly do."

Ray cuffed the man and called for assistance.

"Ray aren't we going to take him to the station?"

"Benny it's the day after Christmas and it's my day off. I don't want to waste it at work."

"But apprehending a criminal is not a waste of your time."

Ray ignored him. "Are you hungry Benny?"

"Ray we ate only an hour ago."

"Well I'm hungry. As soon as they get here and take this bozo off our hands, I want to go to the food court." 

*********

Francesca tried on another gown. She flounced around looking at the material.

"You do look good Frannie, but that gown is not you."

"I know Maria, but it's fun tryin' them on."

After removing the gown she returned to one of the racks, pushing the gowns aside as she looked at them. "Ma what do you think?" She held up a frilly, extremely low cut gown with bows and lace. Mrs. Vecchio walked over to her shaking her head.

"Do you not remember our talk before? About the gown for the opera? Do you not remember how beautiful you looked?" Then her mother turned and walked away from her and Maria.

"Ma's right. I can't wear anything like this. I'm not twenty years old." Frowning, she put the gown back. *This is going to be harder than I thought.* She stood chewing on her finger, looking around the room. There were so many gowns and dresses to look at.

After an another hour of trying gowns on Francesca felt like crying. She wanted to get this over with. "Maybe we should elope Maria."

"What? No way Frannie. Ma wouldn't like that."

Maria looked toward their mother as she approached them holding a gown in her hands. "Try this one."

Francesca took the rather plain looking gown from her mother and went into the dressing room and pulled it on. Stepping out into the main room she heard Maria gasp.

"That's it!"

She drug Francesca up to a small podium where she could look at herself in the mirrors at different angles.

She stared at herself. Blinking, she smoothed the material with her hands. No frills or bows. Just shiny off white satin with a few sequins. It hung off her shoulders and had long sleeves with satin buttons on the cuffs. The gown had the same buttons going down the front as well. As she touched the buttons with her fingers she smiled. *Benton will love these. Easy access.*

"Do you like it Frannie?"

"Yes, it's perfect. Thank you Ma." She spun in a small circle admiring the way the material looked as it settled around her feet. Her mother sure knew how to pick out a dress. This would be the second time that she had made sure that Francesca hadn't picked out something that wasn't right for her. *I'm gonna' havefta' do somethin' special for Ma.* 

**********

Ray had pulled Fraser over to the tux rental shop and was making him watch him as he tried on different outfits.

"Damn I look fine."

Fraser grinned at Ray. He was like a peacock preening his feathers. "Yes you do."

He couldn't help it. He had to get Francesca's help. He knew that if he could get Ray out on a date, he would hit it off with the woman he had in mind. He could feel it.

"Hey Benny, how come you're wearin' your dress uniform and not a tux?"

"I believe Francesca was trying to be nice. I would prefer to wear my dress uniform for this occasion. My dad wore his when he married my mum."

"Yeah I bet she just wants you to wear it so she can have all of that leather to strip off of you on your wedding night."

"Ray that is not the reason I can assure you. And you have seen my dress uniform, I do not wear the Sam Browne with it."

"I was only teasin' you. How does this look."

Ray had on a black tux with tails. It had a gray ascot instead of a tie.

"You look very handsome Ray."

Ray tugged at a sleeve and dusted the front off. "Yes I do."

Fraser couldn't help smiling. Ray was as comfortable in a suit as he was in his flannel shirt and jeans. Fraser never really liked wearing his uniforms or suits, but he did so without protest because he had to. Why complain about something he had no control over. Ray on the other hand wore suits because he loved them. They were like night and day, but they still managed to be best friends.

"Okay Benny, this is the one. Time for me to get changed and then we can go home."

"That sounds fine to me Ray."

As Ray came out of the changing room he grinned at Fraser. "Are you hungry Benny?"

"Ray you just ate!"

"So I'm hungry again. There's this really great ice cream place at the other end of the mall. I know you like chocolate ice cream. They have the best chocolate ice cream this side of Chicago."

"Ray we'll be eating in a few hours."

*Who is he fooling. He loves chocolate ice cream.*

Ray smiled at the memory of the time Fraser had been at their house for Angelo's birthday. It wasn't that long after Fraser had been permanently transferred to Chicago. They had brought out the cake and ice cream and Ray had handed him a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream. Ray couldn't believe that Fraser had never had any before. The look on Fraser's face when he had taken that first spoonful was classic. It was like watching a little kid get a pony for his birthday present. He was hooked ever since.

"Benny, it's the richest, creamiest chocolate ice cream you are ever gonna' eat."

Fraser chewed on his lower lip. "Is this going to be the last stop? No more shopping or food?"

"Cross my heart Benny this is our last stop in the mall and then we can go home." *I knew I could talk him into gettin' ice cream. Geez no wonder Frannie has such an easy time with him. All you havefta' do is bribe him with somethin' he likes.* Ray made a face at the mental image he was getting. He had thought of what Francesca would bribe Fraser with.

"Okay Ray, we will go and get some ice cream, but you promised, no more shopping."

"Yes I said that. Let's go, I'm hungry."

Fraser looked at Ray with interest. "Do they have the ice cream with the little chunks of chocolate in them?"

"Benny they have everything."

Ray watched as Fraser smiled, the anticipation clearly evident on his face. *He is such a little kid.* 

**********

Ray and Fraser had already been back to the Vecchios house for a few hours before Francesca, Maria and their mother had arrived. They were in the kitchen starting dinner. Ray made sure that Fraser was the one cutting all of the vegetables, but as always he flew through the task, looking to Ray for something else to do.

"Here." Ray dumped a pot of boiled potatoes into a strainer. "You are now in charge of making the mashed potatoes."

Fraser eyed the huge pile. "Ray, we have plenty of stuffing left over from yesterday. No one will want potatoes."

"Benny, everyone loves mashed potatoes. Either you make them or you can go sit with Tony in the den."

Fraser picked up a potato and began to peel it.

"I thought so."

Ray was please with the way he handled the problem. There was no way in hell he was going to get stuck peeling that huge pot of potatoes.

They could hear the front door slam open and Francesca flew into the house. Fraser knew that it was her by the lightness of her footsteps. She ran into the kitchen smiling happily. "Benton, I found my gown! Well, I really didn't find it, Ma did, but you're gonna' love it." She grabbed him and whispered in his ear. "It's really easy to take off."

She gave him a quick kiss, and seeing what he was doing she washed her hands and began helping him with the potatoes. Fraser watched her, grinning the entire time.

Francesca caught him looking at her and remembered the task that he had set out on this morning. "Well?"

"Well what Francesca?"

"Did you find the rings?"

"Yes."

"Can I see them?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"They're on order. I'll go back and pick them up in two weeks."

She smiled again. "Then I'll get to see them."

Fraser shook his head no. "You will see them when we get married."

"What!?"

"If I'm not allowed to see your dress, then I feel that you should not see the rings."

Ray joined in. "Hey Frannie, you should see them. They're really nice."

"That's not fair!" Francesca pouted, but it quickly changed to a smile again.

"Oh who cares. I'll see them in a few weeks anyway." She stopped peeling the potatoes and hurriedly washed her hands, looking in Ray's direction the entire time. "Come on Benton."

Fraser looked up at her blankly as Ray yelled at her. "Hey wait a minute! Who's gonna' finish the potatoes?"

"Oh shut up Ray. There's plenty of stuffing left over from yesterday. No one is gonna' want potatoes. I don't even know why you were makin' them in the first place. Besides, I need to talk to Benton."

"Yeah right. You need to 'talk' to him. Why can't you 'talk' to him here?"

Fraser looked at her waiting for her response. She maneuvered herself so that Ray couldn't see what she was doing. "Because it's private Ray." As she spoke she nodded in Ray's direction and made the hand gesture she had shown Fraser earlier this morning.

Fraser smiled and dropped the knife he was using to peel the potatoes and washed his hands. "She is correct Ray. This is a private matter."

Ray's was getting irritated. "She didn't even tell you what she wants to talk about."

"She doesn't have to Ray. We are telepathic."

Fraser grabbed Francesca's hand and they smiled at Ray as they left the kitchen.

"Telepathic my ass! They're up to no good." 

*********

"Come on." Francesca pulled Fraser up the stairs to her room, shutting the door she locked it.

Fraser looked uneasily at her. "Francesca there is no need to lock the door. We're only going to discuss setting Ray up on a date."

Francesca smiled at him. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Fraser sighed. "Francesca, we are here to talk, not fool around."

Francesca slowly approached him. "How about a quickie and then we can talk."

Fraser stared back at her. "I have told you, I do not like 'quickies'. Doing that is...I do not like them."

"But 'I' do. Either we do a quickie or I'll go back downstairs and tell Ray that you're gonna' set him up. He'll get really pissed at you if he finds out."

"You are not being very fair."

Francesca crossed her arms, smiling lewdly. "Either you give me some or I'll tell."

Fraser couldn't believe her. "Give me 'some'? Francesca how would you like it if I told your mother what you are saying to me?"

Francesca only grinned at him. "Go ahead, I know you won't. You're a big chicken. Besides if you hadn't done what you did to me this mornin' I wouldn't have wanted to do anything. It's all your fault. Just pretend we've been foolin' around for a while and now we're gonna' do it."

Fraser sighed again as he pulled off his shirt. Arguing with Francesca when she was in a mood was fruitless. They would only stay in the bedroom the rest of the evening until he gave in to her. "I know I have said that we would never do anything here again, but maybe if we get caught by your mother you will stop being so demanding. This is bribery."

"I know, but I'm getting what I want aren't I?" She smiled at him smugly.

Fraser stopped, his hands on the button of his jeans. Crossing his arms he stared back at her unsmiling. "If you want it bad enough then you come over here and get it."

Francesca raised an eyebrow at him. *He looks a little peeved. Is he mad at me?* Looking down his torso she smiled. "You're not a good liar Benton. You want to do it. You can't hide 'that'."

"I don't care. I will suffer. If you want me then you will have to show me that you do."

"What if I don't?"

He reached down and picked his shirt up, pulling it back on. "Then you do not get 'some' and I will work on getting Ray a date by myself." He undid his jeans and began tucking his shirt in.

Francesca knew that he wasn't teasing her. She was lucky that he was even considering doing what she wanted. No, she was pushing it. She walked over to Fraser and pulled his shirt back out and began to slowly pull at his jeans, but he stopped her. He still didn't look very happy.

"I want a quickie Benton. Now, not later. Besides I won't be able to stay over tonight, I have to work tomorrow."

"You are impossible."

"Yes I am, but you still love me and you'll give me what I want. You. So how about we kinda' start where we left off this mornin'."

Fraser bit his lip. "Francesca we really shouldn't."

She titled her head back and sighed, then she looked back at him. "Benton, Ma doesn't care. We're gettin' married in less than six weeks. We could go downstairs and do it in the den while she reads and I don't think she would bat an eye."

"That is highly unlikely."

"Oh come on! We could have been almost done by now. Please. " She pulled her clothes off and stood in front of him nude. She knew that he was going to give in to her. The way he was looking at her was a dead give away. "Now you Benton. Strip."

He shook his head in irritation and slowly removed his clothes. "We are going to get in trouble."

"No we're not." She lowered her voice. "No one will bother us. Trust me." She stepped forward and kissed him. "Besides, the door is locked."

Fraser reached down and took her hand, kissing her fingers he placed her hand on his chest, smiling as he did it.

"You are so easy Benton."

"And that is the only reason I think that you love me."

Francesca looked down at him and laughed. "Well this is almost like this mornin'. Except for this." She grabbed his erection and reached up to kiss him.

As their lips met he slowly moved against her hand. Pulling back from her slightly, he whispered in her ear. "What do you want to do?"

She began to slowly pull at him. "Here you go again. Asking me what 'I' want. What do 'you' want?"

As he kissed her neck a hundred thoughts passed through his mind. She had said she wanted a quickie. But how quick? He placed his hand over hers as she slowly stroked him, wrapping his fingers around hers. "Define what a quickie is."

She kissed his chest as she ran a hand down his back letting her fingers trail lightly over his ass before she squeezed it. "Your butt is so tight."

Fraser laughed in her ear. "I know something that you have that is tight...and hot." He nibbled at her ear. She jerked him hard, hearing him suck the air through his teeth. "Francesca that was not nice."

"Tell me what you want Benton."

He pushed against her hand. "I want everything."

"We don't have time for everything. You have to chose."

Pushing her hand away Fraser scooped Francesca up and set her gently on the bed. She watched him as he stood over her and began slowly trailing his hands over her body. He was already breathing heavily. Francesca began to feel a bit apprehensive. The way he was looking at her...not talking. She knew that he was going to do something unusual. She felt herself growing warm, her desire overriding her fear. He never hurt her and it always felt good. "Benton..."

He placed his fingers over her mouth silencing her. "I'm not going to do anything...different."

He took a Lucky 13 from her dresser drawer and rolled it on never letting his eyes leave hers. Without speaking he grabbed her and pulled her up into a sitting position on the bed, her legs dangling over the side. Moving to stand between her legs he leaned down, kissing her deeply as he pushed her back on the bed.

As she kissed Fraser she felt him rubbing against her sex with his erection. Sliding up and down, but never entering her. She knew that he was making sure that she would be ready for him. The thought caused her to tighten. What exactly did he have in mind? She whispered in his ear. "Please."

He was going to change her idea of a quickie into something more than she had in mind if she didn't remind him. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

He only ignored her, pushing harder against her, still refusing to give her what she wanted. Taking his hand her gently touched her, parting her but only pushing the head of his penis in, then moving slowly out and pushing back into her. She reached behind him trying to force him in, but he resisted, laughing against her neck. "You really want this bad, don't you Francesca?"

He repeated what he had just done, but he pushed himself further in, but not entirely. He knew that he was beginning to frustrate Francesca. He finally pushed his entire length into her, not moving back he began to kiss her, gently nipping her lips with his teeth. Pushing slightly against her, he moved his hips so that she rubbed against his body. As he withdrew she breathed in, clenching her teeth. "Benton quit teasing me."

With a wicked smile Fraser looked down at her as he picked her legs up and held them near his shoulders. Kissing her calf and then her ankle he nuzzled his face against her skin. "Oh I'm not teasing you Francesca." He shoved against her, burying himself hard and deep, grinding his body against hers.

Francesca heard her own voice as she screamed out. "Oh God!"

Fraser quickly released one of her legs to cover her mouth. Laughing softly he spoke to her. He hadn't moved from her and he was breathing rapidly. Knowing that he had elicited this response from her excited him, but now he was also terrified that someone had heard her. "Francesca please do not scream." He removed his hand, seeing her mouth slightly parted, she gasped as he slowly withdrew.

He grabbed her other leg once more and stared down at her. He knew what they were doing was wrong. Like Ray had said it was dangerous. There would be no way that someone would have not heard Francesca cry out, but the sound that she had made...he shivered slightly. He wanted to hear her cry out again. He shoved himself hard against her once more. Her moan was loud as she threw her head back, her hands clutching the comforter.

He again withdrew, but when he shoved himself once more into her he did not hesitate as he repeatedly thrust against her. Her cries of pleasure ringing in his ears. "Oh God yes! Harder!"

He didn't need her encouragement as he lost himself. Seeing her body moving back against the bed. The sound of the wood frame creaking. He continued his thrusts only he made then softer, so that he didn't make contact with her body. Leaning down he kissed her, sucking her tongue into his mouth, his arms now supporting her weight, wrapped around her thighs.

As he kissed her he could feel the heat of her as she clenched around his shaft, her soft pulsing matched her moans that he stifled with his kisses. He continued his thrusts, feeling himself slipping closer to the edge, only to have her twist from his, pushing him away as she rolled out from his hold. Fraser looked down at Francesca in shock. Why had she done that? She was breathing heavily, with a look in her eye that he hadn't seen before.

She smiled seductively as she crawled off the bed and stood in front of him. Reach down she grasped his erection and pulled the condom from him. She reached her arms around him as she slid down his body. Before he had a chance to protest she tightened her grip around his thighs and began to softly suck at his erection. Gently licking at the head she then moved to take in as much of his length as she could. She pulled and sucked at him listening to the sounds of his breathing and the gentle moans that came from him.

Fraser rested his hands on her head, running his fingers through her hair. He knew that it would be quick the moment she touched him with her tongue. He could feel himself beginning to tighten. He tried moving away from her, but she only increased her hold around his legs. Sliding back she flicked her tongue across the head, rubbing her face along him. She looked up at Fraser to see him staring down at her. His eyes dark, his expression questioning what she was doing, but enjoying it all the same.

Moving back she took him again. Letting her tongue slide over his skin. Feeling the heat, tasting him, smelling the musky scent that was uniquely his. Moving her head she pushed and sucked at him feeling his fingers gripping her hair, she knew that he was going to cum. He again tried to push her off, but she refused as his body spasmed against her. As his cum filled her mouth she swallowed it, hearing his choked shout mixing with his calling her name. When his body stopped convulsing she sucked at him once more before letting him slide from her mouth.

When she released him, Fraser dropped heavily to his knees to join her on the floor. Grabbing her he kissed her passionately, rolling her beneath him onto the carpeted floor. He could taste himself on her lips. He couldn't believe that she had done that to him. He rolled over so that they lay facing one another. He stared into her eyes as they tried to regain their composure. Francesca was the first to speak once they were breathing normally.

She smiled at him as she ran her hand lightly over his chest and shoulders. "So Benton. Do you like quickies now?"

He laughed at her, then kissed her as he reached forward, hugging her body against his. "I believe that my perspective of a quickie has been changed. You will no longer hear me protest doing one again."

Francesca looked into Fraser's face, enjoying the shocked expression that appeared as she spoke. "That was the first time that I've ever done that Benton."

"Really!? You never did that with your ex-husband?"

"God no!"

"Then why did you..."

"Why did I do it with you?"

"Yes."

Fraser looked absolutely stunned. Francesca couldn't help laughing. "I honestly don't know. It's almost like I had to. I think your perv vibes are affecting me." She hugged him and laid her head on his chest, snuggling into his body. "Now about Ray..." 

**********

Ray watched Francesca and Fraser smile at him and then they left the room. "Telepathic my ass. They're up to no good." He went over to the potatoes and started peeling them.

He had only peeled a few when Maria walked into the kitchen. She looked at Ray and the way he was stabbing at the potatoes. "And why are you so cranky?"

"Do you see anyone helpin' me?"

"Where are Frannie and Benton?"

Ray frowned. "They went upstairs to 'talk'."

"They did 'not'! Frannie is so lucky!"

Ray stared dumbfounded at his older sister. "Lucky?"

"Yeah lucky. Come on Ray, look at him. If Benton were mine I'd be all over him."

"Maria!"

"I'm only tellin' you the truth Ray. He's built, nice to look at, he's polite, plus he carries a pretty big nightstick around with him."

Ray looked at his sister in shock. "How do you know the size of his...nightstick?"

"I saw the condom package in Frannie's room. Size large." She snickered. "Frannie got the deluxe package when she got Benton."

"You are so gross. That's Benny we're talkin' about here."

"I know. I'm only havin' a little fun. It's not like I'm gonna' attack him or anything. I'm just tellin' you what I see." She sighed. "The poor guy. Sometimes he seems so lost. How can he have all of that and still be unhappy?"

"You noticed that too."

"Yeah. I can't imagine bein' all alone like he is. No family, no friends. Thank God he has Frannie."

"Hey!"

"And you Ray." Maria patted him on the arm and started helping him with the potatoes.

She hadn't even finished peeling the first one when she heard Francesca yell out. Ray's mouth dropped open and Maria's eyes widened. She looked at Ray and burst out laughing. "No! They really are up there doin' it!" She laughed harder and threw the potato down and ran out of the kitchen.

"Maria!" Ray ran after her, bumping into her in the foyer at the base of the stairs. "Maria what are you doin'?"

"Sssssh! Listen Ray."

They could hear Francesca's moans.

"Aw come on Maria this is disgusting!"

Then they heard her scream demanding Fraser to go harder.

Maria was laughing as she leaned against the wall.

"Maria this is 'not' funny."

Between gasps for air Maria laughed at Ray. "Yes it is! Oh my God Ray, it's hysterical! How can someone as shy as Benton be such an animal in bed? And Frannie!" She laughed again. "She could care less if the whole neighborhood knows that they're havin' sex."

"My point exactly. They don't care. There's somethin' wrong with those two."

"I wish I had half the guts Frannie has. She's not afraid to reach for what she wants and look what she's got!" Maria paused waving at Ray to be quiet, straining to listen to the pair upstairs. Then she burst out laughing again.

Ray didn't hear anything. "What?"

"You can't hear it? The bed Ray."

Ray concentrated. "Aw geez!"

They stood listening to the sound of the bed and then Francesca's muffled moans. Then silence. Maria laughed again. Ray had enough and moved to take Maria's arm when they heard Fraser yell out something, followed by a heavy thud. Ray drug Maria back into the kitchen as she laughed even harder.

"Ray! They're on the floor!"

"Okay so they're on the floor." He ran a hand over his head. "You know we are pathetic. Do you realize we just stood in the hall listening to them having sex? What is wrong with us?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong. They're happy and we're not."

"You're not happy with Tony?"

Maria laughter faded. "Ray I love Tony but let's face it, he's lazy and as far as sex goes...I can't even remember the last time we did it. How about you? When was the last time you had sex Ray? I bet Frannie and Benton did it more times the first night they were together than you have all year."

"That's not funny Maria."

"When was the last time you had sex? Frannie told me how many times they did it the first night and I was jealous."

Ray couldn't believe his sisters. Did they tell every single detail of their lives to one another? "Does she tell you everything?"

"She use to but Benton got upset with her, so she stopped. She'll still tell me stuff, but I don't get the juicy details anymore."

*Juicy details?* Ray looked at Maria curiously. He couldn't help it. "Maria, how many times did they do it?"

She laughed again holding her hand up showing five fingers. "Five Ray."

"Five! She's lyin'."

Maria smiled and shook her head. "No she wasn't lyin'. She was shell shocked. Five times in one night Ray."

"That is not human."

Maria snickered. "I know. Frannie said it's because he's Canadian."

Ray finally smiled and shook his head. "Damn five times. I'd be happy just to do it once."

"Yeah no wonder she's so happy. Benton gives her anything she wants, when she wants it, but the thing he gives her that she wanted the most is himself. His love. Maybe you should take her example. All she did was take a chance and look what she has now. They're gonna' get married and start a family. If you get the chance Ray don't be afraid to take it."

Ray was silent. He thought back to what Francesca had said to him in the interrogation room over a year ago. That he was afraid to dream. That she wasn't. And Ray had to admit to himself that she was right. She wasn't afraid to reach for what she wanted and her dream came true. Ray sighed. "Believe me Maria, if I ever get the chance to have what they have I'll take it. What have I got to lose? If I don't I'll just grow old and die alone."

"That sounds like somethin' Frannie would say."

"She did say it. To me."

"She's pretty smart for a little sister isn't she?"

"Yeah she is." 

*********

As Fraser tucked his shirt back in he began to get nervous. Francesca looked at him and noticed it right away. "What's wrong Benton?"

"Someone had to have heard us Francesca."

"You're just too paranoid. No one heard us."

Fraser grinned slightly. "Oh they heard us. I know they had to have heard you that first time."

"That's all your fault. You said you weren't gonna' do anything different."

"I didn't."

"Uh huh. You know how much I like it like that and then you had to you know, add that extra push at the end."

Fraser smiled. "But you're supposed to like it. Isn't that the point?"

"Yes. Come on let's get back downstairs before Ray gets too cranky."

As they walked down the stairs Fraser reached over and took Francesca's hand, holding it tightly. She stopped them in the middle of the stairwell. "Why are you so afraid of Ray?"

"It's not Ray that I'm afraid of. I just know that someone heard us and they're going to say something."

Francesca sighed. "Benton we had sex, it's not a sin. Well technically it is, but we're gettin' married soon. They know we have sex. What is the big deal?"

"Most people don't go around letting everyone else hear them while they are engaged in the act."

"Like I said, that's your fault."

"Would you prefer that I no longer perform that specific act again?"

Francesca thought for a second. "No, I was kinda' hopin' we could do that again later this week." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Now let's go. There's nothing to worry about. I'll protect you from Ray."

"Thank you kindly."

They walked into the kitchen still holding hands. When they saw Ray they began to smile. He had no idea what they were planning for him. On the other hand, they had no idea that Ray and Maria had been listening to them, but they soon got the idea when Maria looked at them and started laughing.

Ray couldn't resist making fun of the pair. "So did you two have a nice 'talk'?"

Maria joined in. "Yeah. When I heard Frannie yellin' I thought you were fightin'."

Fraser blushed and tried to pull away from Francesca, but she held his hand tightly. Finding he had no where to go he tucked his head down not looking at them, trying to focus his attention on a spot on the floor. He knew that someone had heard them. He expected some type of comment, but to have both Ray and Maria hear them was too much. He couldn't look at them, but he did answer them. Francesca was right. This was something he needed to get use to. "Yes Maria. It was a rather...heated discussion."

"Benton!" Francesca pulled away from Fraser and slapped him on the arm, laughing in surprise at his response. She crossed her arms and looked at Maria and Ray accusingly. "Just how much of our 'talk' did you hear?"

Maria grinned at her. "The whole 'conversation' Frannie. I wish Tony and I would have a 'talk' like that once in a while."

Francesca started laughing again. "How could you hear us? Unless you went in..."

Ray and Maria started laughing.

"You did not! Benton, they were in the hall listenin' to us. You two are sick!"

Ray stared at her. "We're sick? Who's the one upstairs yellin' 'harder'!"

At that comment Fraser turned to leave the room, but Francesca grabbed him. "Oh no you don't. You stay right here." She pointed a finger at Ray. "You know Ray, maybe if you had a 'girlfriend' you wouldn't have to get off by listenin' to us. Maybe you could have the real thing."

"Oh you're a real comedian Frannie. Maybe if you two rabbits could control yourselves I wouldn't have to worry about hearin' anything." Ray looked at Fraser who still hadn't turned around. "Hey Thumper, turn around and join the 'conversation'."

Fraser shook his head no as he tried to control himself.

Francesca walked over to him and looked at his face. He was laughing even though he was still beat red with embarrassment.

"And what do you think is so funny?"

Fraser leaned in to her and whispered.

"You said Ray needs to get off. He has no idea what we're planning."

Francesca looked back over at Ray and grinned. She whispered back to Fraser. "I bet if he gets some he'll only last a minute it's been so long since he got laid."

Fraser's choked laughter was his only reply.

"Hey Benny. Do you want to share what's so funny?"

He straightened up and took several deep breaths. *I am a Mountie. I must maintain control.* He schooled his features and turned back to face Ray and Maria. He had his calm Mountie face on, but it was still tinged pink. "No Ray. It was...nothing important."

Ray grinned at him. *I think he's had enough teasing.* "Do you want to help me finish getting dinner ready...Thumper?"

Fraser bit his lip to keep from laughing at Ray. *Control yourself.* His voice came out blandly. "Yes Ray."

"Good. Let's finish the potatoes." 

**********

The four of them continued getting dinner ready. Maria was talking quietly to Francesca. "You know Frannie you should be more careful. You're lucky that Ma decided to take the kids sleddin'." She looked over at Fraser eying his body. "Frannie...what was he doin' to you that made you yell like that?"

Francesca smiled. "I can't tell you. I promised Benton I wouldn't tell you this stuff anymore."

"You are so lucky. I mean look at that butt."

"Maria! He's goin' to be your brother-in-law. You shouldn't talk about him like that."

"Sorry Frannie. I'm startin' to sound like you."

Francesca stuck her tongue out at her and grinned. Fraser had turned to look at her so she smiled at him and wiggled her fingers.

Ray caught Fraser looking over at Francesca and when he turned back he had a big grin plastered on his face. Ray started smiling at him the moment Fraser looked up. He laughed when Fraser turned red once more and quickly tucked his head back down.

"You know you two have got to learn how to control yourselves. This is the second time you've been caught."

Fraser didn't look up, his face was still red, but he smiled. "But you didn't see us this time."

"Yeah. Well you two were certainly vocal enough. What in the hell were you doin'?" Ray stared at the top of Fraser's head, not expecting an answer. He wasn't surprised when Fraser refused to tell him. "You know Benny since you're already embarrassed as hell right now, I guess what I'm gonna' do won't even bother you."

Fraser's head snapped up and he looked at Ray apprehensively. 

"Frannie." Ray glanced at Fraser and grinned. *He looks like I hit him. This is gonna' be fun.*

"What?"

"I need to know somethin'."

Fraser could feel his heart pounding. *What is he going to ask her?*

"Last year, when you went to Benny's place in that trampy outfit did you two do it then?"

Fraser swallowed nervously. He did tell Ray to ask Francesca, and now he was. He froze, his hand holding a potato, the knife in his other hand stilled.

Francesca's eyes went wide. "What?"

"What nothin'. You're not Diefenbaker, you heard me. Benny won't tell me. He said that I would have to ask you and I figured since neither one of you gives a horses ass that everyone knows you're doin' it, you'll tell me. Did you?"

Ray looked at Francesca's face. She almost looked panicked.

"Benton?"

Fraser looked at her.

"You never told Ray what happened?"

"No. It wouldn't have been chivalrous. You know I never told him."

"I thought you were jokin'."

Fraser shook his head no. Francesca looked at Ray and then at Maria. "Maria!"

Her sister had leaned forward and was staring at her. "Oh come on Frannie, you never told me either!"

Ray looked shocked. "You never told her?"

Even Fraser was surprised by that. Apparently Francesca didn't tell Maria everything.

Francesca nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Benton?"

"It's up to you Francesca."

She chewed on her lip and looked at Ray and Maria. "God you two need to get a life! You spend way too much time worryin' about what we've done or what we're gonna' do."

"Oh come on Frannie what is it gonna' hurt?"

Fraser gave her a gentle smile. "Go ahead. It really doesn't matter now."

Francesca exhaled. He gave her the little nudge that she needed.

"Maybe from now on Benton and I should write a newsletter on our sex life so you two don't have to guess anymore about what we're doin'."

"Francesca that is totally unnecessary."

"Benton, I was only jokin'."

"Oh...I apologize."

"Geez Benton you're wound up today."

Ray wasn't going to let it drop. "Frannie answer the question."

"Okay okay...I don't know what the big deal is."

Ray's voice and face showed his irritation. "Frannie."

"Oh all right!"

"Did we sleep together that night? Yes."

Ray's mouth dropped open and Maria started laughing. "I told you she did Ray. You're such a hussy Frannie."

Francesca gave Maria a dirty look. "I'm not done yet."

Ray and Maria returned their attention to Francesca. Fraser stood looking at her calmly.

"Did we have sex? No."

"What?!"

Ray looked confused. "Excuse me Frannie. Could you repeat that?"

Maria made a face at her. Francesca sighed and Fraser started smiling. He set down the potato and the knife, wiping his hands off he came and stood beside her. She felt his hand on her should squeezing her softly.

"We slept together, but we didn't have sex. What part of that didn't you two understand?"

Ray looked incredulous. "You slept in the same bed, but you didn't do it? What's the big secret then?"

Francesca rubbed her temples. "This is embarrassing."

Fraser leaned down and hugged her. "Would you like me to explain it to them?"

"Could you please."

Fraser moved closer to Francesca and rubbed her lightly on the back of her neck as her spoke. "When Francesca came to my apartment that night she had every intention of trying to get me to sleep with her, I was a bit shocked to say the least."

Francesca laughed. "That's the understatement of the year."

Fraser paused to look at Ray and Maria. They were both staring at him intently. He tried to look as serious as he could. "Ray, how come you never look this interested when I'm telling you an Inuit story?"

"Because they don't involve my sister, now finish the story. I've been waitin' over a year to hear this."

"Francesca didn't know what had happened to me earlier in the evening and when she noticed my injuries that had been inflected upon me by Zuko's men, she changed her mode of operation."

"What does that mean?"

Francesca smiled weakly. "It means I went from sex kitten to mother hen."

"What?"

Maria started laughing again. "You went to all of that trouble to go and seduce him..."

"Yeah I know. I ended up playing nursemaid instead."

Ray looked at Fraser. "And you didn't try anything?"

Fraser looked down at the floor wondering if he should tell Ray the truth or keep silent. The truth won out. When he looked up at Ray he had a guilty expression on his face. "To be perfectly honest Ray, I really wanted to."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry it's the truth Ray. I had been thinking of it for some time, but two things stopped me. The first one was minor. I believe I could have worked around the pain of my injuries." He heard Francesca giggle and looked down at her smiling. "But the main reason was it wouldn't have been right."

Francesca began to speak. "He told me recently that if we did it then, no matter what, I would have always thought he only wanted me for one reason. Sex. So he didn't touch me."

Maria sighed. "Oh that is so romantic."

Ray rolled his eyes.

"He was right. This way I know he loves me for me, even though I know he doesn't mind the sex."

"Francesca!"

"Oh calm down, I won't say anything to embarrass you. Well I checked out his injuries, got him some aspirin and I made him take it. Basically I was playin' mom. It was late, he saw that I was tired so he asked me to stay. We slept together. That was it."

Ray looked peeved. "If you didn't sleep together, I mean have sex, then why couldn't you tell me Benny?"

Fraser looked uncomfortable. "I felt guilty about it and I wanted to discuss the matter with you. I was going to ask you then if you wouldn't mind if I asked Francesca out on a date, but your reaction to the entire incident was rather...negative. So I refused any further attempts at beginning a relationship with her."

Ray looked at Francesca still miffed. "Then why did you tell everyone you slept with him?"

Francesca sighed. "It snowballed. I came in lookin' for you and I somehow got talkin' to Martha in claims. When I let it slip that I slept with him she automatically thought we had sex. By the time someone else approached me about it, more than half the station thought we had done it. I felt stupid. And since Benton wouldn't say anything to make me look stupid, I just kept my mouth shut. Well, I didn't keep it shut, I just didn't deny it. And then 'you' drug me into the interrogation room and spazed on me."

"And I witnessed the entire incident."

Ray smirked at Fraser. "Yeah. I can't believe it. You of all people eavesdroppin'."

"But as I have stated before Ray, I did have just cause. You were talking about a matter that included Francesca and I. After watching the two of you talk, that was when I realized that she wanted more from me than just sex. I wasn't exactly positive later on by some of her actions towards me, but I had a feeling that there was more to it."

Francesca reached for Fraser's hand. "And you know what the best part of all that mess was? As I was leavin' the station, even after all of the embarrassment that I had put him through, he still offered to walk me home. I knew then that I would somehow get him to see me for me."

Maria was smiling happily at them. "That is so sweet. And here you are a year later."

Francesca grinned back at her. " I know. Isn't it nice?"

Ray looked at Fraser. "You held back all that time just because of me?"

"Yes Ray. I was afraid that you would make me chose between your friendship or being with Francesca. As she has so kindly pointed out...I was chicken to discuss the matter with you. I wasn't even sure about what I did when I asked Francesca to go to the opera with me. It seemed the only way that I could somehow get the ball rolling so to speak."

Ray could only stare back at him. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted."

Francesca waved a hand in Ray's direction. "That's okay Ray. We kinda' expect it from you."

"Thanks a lot Frannie."

"Hey anytime Ray. Now that we're done tellin' you everything about our sex life how about we finish gettin' dinner ready. I wouldn't want to be the one explainin' to Ma why it's not done when she gets home." They all readily agreed and went about preparing dinner. 

**********

Francesca walked up the steps of the 27th precinct, touching the ring on her left hand. She knew she shouldn't feel so smug, but snagging Benton as her husband when almost every single woman in the station wanted him...it made her want to run around and laugh at them all, but she wouldn't do that. She would be nice about it to everyone. Everyone except for Cathy in forensics. *That whore had the nerve to give Benton that book on sex and those silk panties for Christmas. Wait until she sees what he gave me!* Francesca couldn't wait to shove the ring in her face.

She walked to her desk and didn't say a word to anyone. She had made Ray promise that he wouldn't say anything until she said he could. She wanted to have some fun with it first. Grabbing some files she went to the front desk to start showing her ring off. Irma was a nice old woman who never said a bad thing about anyone. Francesca could trust her to spread the news in a nice way.

"Hi Irma, how was your Christmas?"

"It was fine. And how was yours?"

With a bright smile Francesca brought her hand up showing her the ring. Irma's eyes opened wide. "Oh my, will you look at this! It's very nice Frannie." Irma took Francesca's hand and looked at the ring. "That nice Canadian fellow. Fraser. He gave this to you?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations!" Francesca was enveloped in a warm hug. "When's the wedding?"

"February."

Irma gave her a funny look.

*Oh geez!* "No it's not what you think. I'm not...you know." *I almost was though.*

The relief was evident on Irma's face. "That's nice. I'm so happy for you."

She went about the station showing her ring off. Unfortunately she couldn't find Cathy. She flounced back to her desk and flopped in her chair. Ray looked over at her raising his eyebrows. "Yeah Ray, you can tell them if they ask."

Ray stood up and grinned evilly at her. "Okay everyone, here it is. Frannie got engaged Christmas 'night'." Ray walked over to her desk laughing.

"What is so..." Her voice trailed off as she listened to some of the conversations going on around her.

"Cough it up Dewey, you lost."

"I told you he would ask her."

"You're kidding me? He asked 'her'?"

She could see money being passed back and fourth as people either celebrated or grumbled. Her mouth must have been hanging open because Ray laughed even harder. "Yeah, you and Benny were part of a bettin' pool."

Lieutenant Welsh approached her desk. "May I see the ring?"

She held her hand out.

"Very nice Ms. Vecchio. And when is the date of the nuptials?"

"The first week in February."

He leaned down close to her and whispered. "We don't need to discuss maternity leave do we?"

Francesca rolled her eyes. "No!" She stood up. "Before you all go startin' another pool, I am 'not' pregnant!"

"Aw man!" She saw Dewey throw a twenty dollar bill on Huey's desk.

"You mean you already have a bet on that?" She looked over at Ray who was sitting on her desk laughing. "Are there any more bets on me?"

Ray spoke up. "Yeah Frannie. On one knee as he asked you or standin' up."

Francesca sighed. "He proposed to me on one knee the traditional way. Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Ahem!" Huey cleared his throat.

Both Ray and Francesca looked over at him. "Yes Huey?"

Francesca stared at Huey with her arms crossed. *This is ridiculous!*

"There's one more bet."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Did Ray flip out when you told him or did he congratulate you both?"

Francesca looked at Ray and smiled. "I think it's a draw. He didn't freak on us, but he wasn't very happy about it either."

"Very funny Frannie." 

**********

All through the morning she had people coming up to her to see the ring and congratulate her. There were only two people who she really wanted to show the ring to. Cathy to tell her to leave Fraser alone and Tom Dougherty so he would leave her alone. It would be a relief to finally have Tom not pester her anymore. She was getting tired of his advances. The guy had a big problem with the word no.

She thought about her and Fraser's situation, but it had been different between them. Fraser had never told her to piss off or scream the word no in her face. Besides, she could tell that Fraser had liked her. She had definitely never encouraged Tom. Ever. But for some reason he wouldn't leave her alone. Now that she was engaged to Fraser he'd have to back off.

She spied Cathy standing with a group of woman who were all talking loudly until they saw her approaching them. They all stopped, except for Cathy. "I wonder what she did to get that ring? I bet you she's knocked up. She's trapped him."

Francesca stood behind her and smiled. "No I'm not pregnant."

Cathy turned around and glared at her as Francesca held the ring up to her face. "Do you see this Cathy? Benton gave it to 'me', not 'you'. This means he and I are gonna' get married. That means you will leave him alone. Do I make myself clear?"

"You're not married to him Vecchio, that ring doesn't mean shit."

Francesca smiled sweetly at her. "I'd like you to say that to Benton."

Cathy's mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"By the way, the wedding is in February, so if you think you can take him from me by then, be my guest." She smiled again and walked away. *God that felt soooo good!* 

**********

*This day is perfect.* Francesca carried a stack of files down a hall humming softly to herself. The files flew from her as a hand grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, pushing her into the wall.

"What in the hell is wrong with you!"

Francesca was speechless. Tom Dougherty glared down at her, his hand tightening around her upper arm.

"Let me go!" Francesca tried to move, but he only held her tighter.

"Someone told me that little prick gave you a ring." He grabbed her other hand, looking at the ring he flung her hand down in disgust.

He shoved her against the wall pinning her with his body. Her heart was beating wildly. *Where in the hell is everyone?* Francesca looked down the hall praying someone would appear.

"I can't believe you! You've been fucking him?"

Francesca cringed as Tom's fingers dug into her arm. "You're hurtin' me. Let me go!"

"No! You answer me! Have you been fucking that little prick!?"

She grit her teeth not answering him.

"You're mine, you know that don't you? So you had better not make any plans with him. If this was supposed to make me jealous it worked. Now take that ring off of your finger."

Francesca had enough. Using all of her strength she tried to knee him, but he was too close and she was too small. The pain in her arm became a shooting fire in her shoulder as he twisted it and slammed her back against the wall. "Take the ring 'off'!"

"No! Let me go!" She refused to cry or give in to him. She spit in his face, watching as Tom drew his fist back, ready to punch her, but to her surprise he let her go and backed away, wiping the spit off his face.

"You're nothing but a slut fucking him. Why should I bother?" He turned and walked away from her.

Francesca rubbed at her arm, wincing when she touched it. Her shoulder felt like it had been ripped from her body, her fingers were numb. She hadn't been this afraid since Guy Rankin had assaulted her. *Why is this happenin' to me?* She was shaking so bad that when she went to pick up the folders on the hall floor she dropped them.

Standing, Francesca leaned against the wall, hugging her injured arm to her chest. Her fingers were getting tingly. Taking several deep breaths she tried to calm down. The hall was still deserted. Making a mental note to herself she decided she would avoid this hall from now on. Tom could have punched her and no one would have ever seen it.

*What am I supposed to do? Tell Ray? Nooooooo! I can't. He'd kill Tom.* She tried to pick the files up again. Her hands shook, but not so bad that she couldn't hold them. Her right arm and shoulder ached and throbbed, but she had lost the tingly feeling in her fingers. *Tell Benton?* Francesca stood up, wondering what would happen if she told Fraser. She knew that he didn't like Tom. Would his anger be as great as his passion. Hidden and controlled, only waiting for the right moment to appear? Having made the mistake of thinking him an innocent should she take the chance of finding out that he would also have an uncontrollable temper as well?

*This is too much. I shouldn't have to deal with this shit now! I'm supposed to be happy.* Hugging the folders to her chest Francesca walked back to the bullpen and the safety of her desk. Staring blankly at her computer monitor, she tried to decide what to do. *Oh great! Here comes Ray.*

"Frannie are you all right?"

"Yeah why?"

"You look kinda' frazzled."

"Well I am frazzled Ray. I have a wedding to organize."

Ray gave her a look that said 'I don't believe you', but he didn't press her. "Well if you need any help with the 'wedding' let me know."

"Thanks Ray. I will." *One down. Now all I have to do is act normal around Benton and things will be fine.* 

**********

Francesca stood in her room in front of her bureau mirror unbuttoning her sweater. Her shoulder throbbed and a sharp pain stabbed through it as she moved, bringing tears to her eyes. She amazed herself by the fact that she had gotten through the day without leaving the precinct early. The only thing that kept her from doing so were the questions that would be asked by Fraser and Ray.

Using her good arm she peeled the sweater off. *Oh my God.* Bringing her hand up, she lightly traced the marks on her arm. It was obvious what had caused them. Five dark bruises, not the light ones that Fraser had left on her thigh during their lovemaking. These were brutally done. Even her shoulder had a dark cast to it where Tom had twisted it. *How am I gonna' hide this from Benton?*

Her bedroom door swung open and Maria walked in. "Hey Frannie, Ma and I were wonderin'..." Maria's voice trailed off as she saw Francesca's arm. "Frannie?" Maria stared at her in shock. "Benton? He did this to you?" Maria's face darkened as she stepped forward to look closer at the marks. "Oh my God Frannie. He did this? Why?" Francesca started to cry and as she opened her mouth to speak Maria reached forward to hug her. Francesca jerked back, yelling out in pain.

"Frannie we have to get you to a doctor."

"No, I can't! If I go he'll find out."

"Yeah well he's also gonna' get a lot more than findin' out." Maria stood up and went to the top of the stairs. "Ray get up here 'now'!"

Francesca's eyes went wide. "No! Don't let Ray know! He's gonna' freak!"

Maria glared at Francesca. "Yeah, well he has to know what kind of friend he really has."

*Shit!* "No Maria, Benton didn't do this!"

"I can't believe you! You're gonna' cover up for him after he's done somethin' like this to you?"

Ray walked in just as Maria yelled at Francesca. "Cover up for...what in the hell happened to your arm?!" Ray walked over to her, looking at her arm and when he touched her shoulder she flinched. "Jesus Christ. Benny did this to you?" The shock in his voice was mixed with anger.

"No! He didn't do it!"

"She's coverin' for him Ray."

"Maria I'm not. Benton didn't do this!"

"Don't lie Frannie. What about the bruises on your thigh? Who did those?"

"She had bruises on her leg?"

Francesca was getting exasperated. "Well, yes he made those, but they were an accident. He didn't make these."

Ray stared at her. *Is she so in love with Benny that she would take physical abuse from him?* Ray shook his head sadly. "Frannie I know you love Benny, but no one is worth this. You deserve better."

"Ray you have to do somethin'. He can't get away with this. She also won't go see a doctor."

Ray stood up. "I'm gonna' go and get him."

Francesca jumped off of the bed and grabbed Ray by the arm, screaming at him. "If you would both just listen to me! Benton didn't do this! Tom did!"

Ray looked like he had been slapped in the face. "Tom? Tom Dougherty? When did he do this? Why? Does Benny know about this?" He spoke rapidly almost spitting the words out at her.

"No! Don't you dare tell him either."

Maria couldn't believe her sister. "Wait...you're tellin' me that pig that has been after you at work did this to you, not Benton? Frannie what is goin' on?" Maria's mouth dropped open. "You've been cheatin' on Benton?"

Francesca couldn't believe her family. "No! God Maria! What is wrong with you two? I'm 'not' cheatin' on him!" She was so angry at them. First they accused Fraser and now her. What about Tom? She told them what happened, leaving out some of the things that Tom had said to her, watching the anger slowly build on Ray's face. She knew things were going to get out if hand soon.

"I'm gonna' kill him." Ray moved to leave her room and as Francesca grabbed his arm, he jerked away from her. She dropped to the floor clutching her shoulder, crying. "Oh God Frannie I'm so sorry." Ray knelt down beside her. "Come on. You're goin' to the hospital."

"No. I don't want to. I'm fine."

"Frannie, you're sittin' on the floor of your bedroom, cryin' 'cause you're hurtin' so bad. You're goin' to the hospital to get checked out."

He helped her stand and Maria dug a loose sweater out of the dresser and helped her put it on. "Hold on a sec', I'm gonna' call Benny and tell him to meet us there."

"No!"

"No? I'm callin' him Frannie. He'll find out sooner or later, and I don't think he'd appreciate you hidin' somethin' like this from him."

"But Ray, he's going to get angry. He doesn't like Tom."

"Geez Frannie I wonder why? Could it be because Tom wants what he has? And God know why he's worried that you might choose Tom over him. It's called jealousy Frannie."

"Oh don't be stupid! I already told him he has nothin' to worry about."

"Tellin' him is one thing. He's still gonna' feel that way. He's only human."

Ray had to think about what he had just said. *Yeah he's only human, he just doesn't show it like the rest of us.*

Sometimes Fraser was so emotionally retarded that Ray forgot that he was human. It always came as a shock when Fraser did show any emotion and when he did it was usually extreme. You could catch a glimpse of the person behind the stiff Mountie persona. Ray had seen him happy and sad, but never truly angry. What would he be like when he was angry? Even when he was after the killer of his father he didn't show any emotion. Ray doubted that he would see anything, but the usual calm Fraser. "Sorry Frannie. I'm callin' him." 

**********

They had taken Francesca to an exam room and Ray sat in a chair reading a magazine. He threw it down when he realized that he had read the same magazine the last time he was there. "I spend way too much time in hospitals." With a sigh he began tapping his fingers on his knee, checking his watch every few minutes.

Looking up he saw the familiar figure in scarlet and blue approaching him, stetson in hand. Fraser looked as calm as ever as he stood in front of Ray, but the constant tapping of his stetson against his thigh was a dead giveaway that he was anything but calm. "What happened Ray? Where is she?"

"She's in gettin' checked. It's nothin' serious."

"I know...you told me over the phone that it wasn't serious. How did she get hurt?"

*Oh boy. Here it goes.* Ray exhaled and ran a hand over his head.

"Ray, how did Francesca get hurt?"

"You're not goin' to be very happy about this. I know I'm not."

"Ray."

"Tom Dougherty."

Fraser stared at him blankly. "Tom?"

"Yeah. He grabbed Frannie in one of the halls at the precinct. He was pissed when he found out that she was engaged to you. He tried to force her to take the ring off and she refused."

The changes were subtle, but Ray knew that Fraser was angry. The set of his jaw, the increased breathing, his tight grip on his Stetson, and for once the anger reached his eyes. They were darkened. Fraser turned and walked away from Ray. "Benny where are you goin'?"

"To find Francesca."

"They won't let you in there, you know that. She'll be out soon anyway. Come and sit down."

"No thank you."

Fraser walked over to the window in the waiting room and stared outside. The continued tapping of his stetson on his leg the only sign that he was upset. Ray watched Fraser for several minutes. *I knew he wouldn't overreact. At least I don't have to worry about him doin' anything stupid.*

Fraser stopped the tapping and suddenly turned away from the window and began walking quickly down the hall.

"Benny..." Ray saw Francesca turn the corner of the hall walking toward them. *How in the hell did he hear her coming?*

As Francesca turned the corner, walking into the hall that led to the waiting room she saw Fraser heading straight to her. *Crap, I don't want to explain this to him.* She tried acting casual. "Uh hi Benton." *God I can't even look him in the eye. I didn't do anything wrong!*

"What did the doctor say?"

She didn't look up at Fraser, but glanced at Ray who was now standing beside him. "It's nothin' serious. My shoulder is wrenched and slightly bruised. I'll have to wear this sling for a few days so I won't jiggle it around. They gave me some pain killers and said when I'm done these to just take aspirin." She finally looked at Fraser. She could tell he was angry. His whole body was stiff.

"At what time did your injury occur?"

*Oh great! Now the questions.* "Before lunch."

"Why didn't you call me or tell Ray what had happened to you?"

"I didn't want anyone to worry."

Fraser cocked his head to the side and squinted at her. "No that's not the truth Francesca. You didn't want anyone to know. You were hiding it. Why?"

"I wasn't hidin' it." Fraser kept looking at her. "Oh all right! I was hidin' it! I didn't want anyone to get upset and I didn't think I was hurt this bad. It got worse as the day went on. Can I go home now? I'm tired."

Francesca brushed past Fraser and began walking toward the exit. She stopped when she noticed that they weren't following her. Turning back to them she yelled. "Are you gonna' to take me home or what?!"

Ray was the first to move. "I'll go get the Riv and pick you two up at the door."

Fraser hadn't moved and was looking down the hall at her strangely.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He slowly walked to her with his head down.

"You're not very good at lyin' Benton so why bother tryin'. What's wrong?"

"We'll discuss it when we get you home. Ray's probably waiting for us." Walking forward he took her free hand and led her to the car and helped her get in the back seat. He slid in beside her.

*Well this is a good sign. He's sitting with me.* She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. To her surprise she felt Fraser holding her hand, softly running his thumb over hers. No one spoke the whole way back, but the tension was obvious. She glance at Fraser once only to see him looking away from her, staring out the window.

When they reached the Vecchio's Ma and Maria were waiting at the door for her. She quickly told them what happened at the hospital, then she went up the stairs to go to her room. Fraser stood at the bottom of the steps watching her walk up. Again she stopped and turned. "Are you comin' up?" Fraser slowly walked up the stairs behind her and into her room.

She closed the door and sat on her bed looking up at Fraser. "Okay, what's wrong?"

He set his stetson down and leaned back against her bureau. Crossing his arms he regarded her calmly. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Why did I need to? What could you have done? Go and beat Tom up?" *There's that look again.* "It's bad enough I have to deal with this and now I have to have you actin' weird."

His voice actually rose a bit. "Weird? I am 'not' acting weird Francesca. How do you want me to act? I get a call from Ray saying you've been hurt. Then he tells me how and finally you were trying to hide the fact that Tom assaulted you!"

"What? He grabbed my arm and twisted it. I wouldn't exactly call that assault."

"No Francesca that is assault. Why don't you tell me exactly what happened, not what you want me to hear."

"Did Ray tell you anything?"

"All Ray told me is Tom did this to you, nothing more."

"Then how did you know that he 'assaulted me'?"

Fraser looked up at the ceiling closing his eyes. He sighed and looked back down at her, his face blank. "Please, I am asking you to tell me the truth. What happened and why did it occur? I don't want to play guessing games with you, I shouldn't have to."

"You're only gonna' get mad."

"I already am."

Francesca snorted. "You can't tell by the way you're actin'."

Fraser couldn't believe her. Why was she acting like this toward him. What was she hiding? "Would it be better if I yelled at you? Or would you prefer that I break something? Or better yet, why don't I hit you like Tom did."

"He didn't hit me, he was going to but..." Francesca's voice trailed off. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're sneaky."

"But what? All I want to know is what happened."

"Okay...you want to know, I'll tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't freak."

Fraser was beginning to lose his patience. "I promise I will not 'freak'."

Francesca proceed to tell him everything that had happened, word for word. She didn't leave out details like she did with Ray and Maria. "That's it. That's exactly what happened."

Fraser stared at her trying not to lose control. He took a deep breath and settled himself. "I want you to press charges against Tom for assault."

"No. It's over with. He's not goin' to bother me again."

"How do you know he's not? Look what he did to you! Did you think he was capable of doing this?" He gestured at her shoulder his voice rising again. "If you don't press charges against him, I'll ask Ray to do it."

"Oh that would be nice. He'd have to be a total moron to turn in one of his own."

Fraser looked like she had slapped him across the face. He snatched his stetson off of the bureau and was out of the room before she even had a chance to move from the bed. "Benton wait!" *Geez he's fast!* As she came down the stairs she watched him go into the den, heard him yell something and then he was out just as fast with Diefenbaker on his heels. "Benton!" Without looking at her he stalked past her and out the front door, slamming it.

As soon as the door closed Ray ran into the foyer. "Frannie what in the hell is goin' on?"

"Nothin'."

"If nothin' happened, then why did he come in the den, yell for Diefenbaker and leave? He wouldn't even answer me."

"I sorta' said somethin' by accident."

"Like what!? What could be so bad that he'd act like that?"

Francesca nervously ran her fingers through her hair. "He wanted me to press charges against Tom for assault. I said no and he said he would get you to do it. I said you would have to be a total moron to turn in one of your own."

Ray stared at Francesca with his mouth hanging open. "Aw Jesus Christ Frannie! What in the hell made you say somethin' as stupid as that?!" He had stepped forward and was yelling in her face.

Looking down at the floor she stared to cry. "I don't know, it just came out. I didn't think."

"That's an understatement. You 'never' think about what you say to him. You had better go and talk to him now. You need to apologize."

"How about you go and get him for me?"

"No way Frannie. You said it, you go get him and kiss his ass. You really messed up big this time."

She finally yelled back at Ray. "I can't go and get him, I can't drive! I am askin' you nicely. Please go and get Benton and bring him back."

As Ray put his coat on he shook his head. "I can not believe you! Why don't you take a knife and stab him in the heart the next time, it won't hurt him as much."

"You are so ignorant Ray, I didn't mean to say it." She wiped at her face looking angrily at him.

"You need to start thinkin' then. If you keep this shit up he's eventually gonna' get tired of it. God knows what he sees in you."

"Just shut up and go get him!"

She turned her back on Ray and walked into the den and sat on the sofa. Absently rubbing at her shoulder she leaned back staring at the spot that Fraser would normally sit in when they were together. She closed her eyes and began to cry. *I shouldn't have to think about what I say around him. Maybe he needs to loosen up more. It's not my fault this happened!* 

**********

Ray could see Fraser walking down the road with Diefenbaker. His pace was steady, not rushed. *Okay, he's not runnin' so he can't be that bad.* Ray drove along side of Fraser and when he didn't look over at him he pulled the Riv to the side of the road waiting for Fraser to stop. Fraser walked right past him without any acknowledgment that he was there. *This is gonna' be interestin'.*

Pulling the Riv back out, he drove along side of Fraser and rolled the window down. "Benny. Stop walkin' and get in."

"No."

"Come on, Frannie wants to talk to you."

"No thank you. Tell her I don't feel like talking at this moment."

"Benny I wasn't the one who pissed you off. How about you and I have a little chat?"

"No thank you Ray, I really don't feel like discussing this with you."

*God he's a real bastard when he's miffed.*

He accelerated slightly and pulled the Riv up in front of Fraser blocking his path on the sidewalk. Ray opened the passenger side door. "I don't care if you don't feel like talkin', getin the car." *Did he just roll his eyes at me?*

Fraser let Diefenbaker in the back seat, threw his stetson on the dash and slid in the front seat. He stared out the window ignoring Ray. Ray backed the Riv off the sidewalk and drove in the opposite direction of the Vecchio's house.

"Frannie didn't mean to say that to you. You know how she can get sometimes when she talks. She doesn't think. She'll apologize to you the moment you walk through the door."

Fraser still didn't look at him. "It's not only that Ray."

"What else is there?"

Fraser laughed humorlessly. "Ray I don't like any of this. I can't go after Tom and Francesca won't press charges. What am I supposed to do? Let it happen again? The worst part of all of this is she was planning on hiding this from me. Why?"

"You really are pissed aren't you?"

"Yes I'm angry! I don't like the idea that she's hiding things from me. Why is she protecting him?"

"You're gonna' have to ask Frannie those questions, not me." Ray tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Benny you say you're angry. How come you don't show it?"

Fraser shook his head. "You sound just like Francesca. Would it be better if I started yelling and made a complete ass of myself. Oh, I stand corrected, it wouldn't make a difference. I am a moron after all."

Ray sighed. "You're not a moron Benny, but you could try raisin' your voice once in a while or for that matter lettin' people know how you feel."

"Ray, I don't feel the need to raise my voice."

"Yeah you say that, but I know you want to. You can do it. Remember that time at dinner a few months ago? You did it then. Didn't it feel good?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean yes and no. It did or it didn't."

"Yes it felt good Ray, but no I shouldn't have acted that way. It's not proper."

"I really hate to say this to you Benny..."

"But you're going to. You always do."

"Yeah I do. You're a friggin' mess. You're human not a machine so start actin' like one. When you're mad at Frannie yell at her. Don't sit there like an idiot or run away from her."

Fraser laughed. "Oh now I'm a moron 'and' an idiot. I guess you want me to be more like...Tom?"

"Jesus Benny, I didn't say that! I said yell at her, don't hit her."

Fraser picked at the material on his coat looking down at his boots. "Wouldn't yelling at Francesca be verbal abuse? Words can hurt more than a physical assault. Wounds heal Ray, words are forever."

"You know just because your grandparents verbally abused you it doesn't mean you can't yell at someone once in a while." Fraser looked up at Ray, the surprise in his eyes clearly evident and just as quickly he looked back out the window. *I struck a nerve. He's more messed up than I thought.*

"Benny I don't want you to go off the deep end with Frannie, just yell at her when she says somethin' ignorant to you."

"I can't do that."

"Why in the hell not!"

"I won't do it Ray. I don't know how and I really don't want to learn how to yell at her. It wouldn't serve any purpose except to hurt her."

"Who cares! You hurt her by leavin' and 'not' talkin' to her. She was cryin' when I left the house, so either way she'll be upset, but at least you can still talk about it. Work your problems out Benny, don't avoid them, hopin' they'll go away."

"You know if you don't stand up for yourself, she'll walk all over you!"

"Ray she isn't going to 'walk' all over me. She says what's on her mind. That's Francesca."

"And you don't say shit to anyone no matter how ignorant they are to you. That's just you."

"Yes Ray."

"You are so aggravating. Come back to the house and talk to Frannie."

"No I'd rather not."

"Why!?"

"Could you please take me home Ray."

"You know if you don't come back with me she'll be pissed at you."

"Then tell her I need some time to think."

"Think about what? What is there to think about Benny?"

Fraser looked at Ray sadly. "Ray please take me home."

"I don't like this crap Benny. You two are supposed to get married soon, you need to straighten it out now, not later."

Fraser didn't reply.

Ray drove the Riv to Fraser's house and as soon as he stopped the car Fraser got out and shut the door before Ray could say anything to him. "This is perfect. He won't talk and now I'll go home and hear Frannie's shit. I knew I would get stuck between them!" 

**********

Ray found Francesca sitting on the sofa crying as she aimlessly channel surfed. She craned her neck around as Ray entered the room and she quickly wiped her face off with her sleeve. "Where's Benton?"

"He's not here."

"Why not? Didn't you find him?"

"Yeah I found him, but he's not comin' back. He said he needs some time to think."

Francesca sat up straighter. "Think about what?"

"Oh I don't know Frannie. Let's see...one you lied to him, two you insulted him by calling him a moron. Don't forget that Mr. Moron got thrown out of his own country because of that decision."

"Oh give me a break, I didn't lie to him."

"You didn't tell him the truth either Frannie, that's as good as lyin' to him. Plus he thinks you're hidin' somethin' about Tom."

"I told him it's over. Tom won't bother me again."

Ray stared at Francesca. *Oh boy is she a brick or what?* "Frannie, did you say it that way to Benny? It's 'over' with you and Tom? That could sound like there was somethin' goin' on between the two of you at one time."

"Noooooo. I don't think I said it like that."

"Well let's suppose that 'he' heard it that way. Now you can tag on his little jealousy problem that he has with you. That's why he isn't here."

"You know Ray, I really don't need this shit right now, I didn't do anything wrong."

"Hey, neither did Benny, so don't take it out on him. Go after Tom."

"How?"

"Charge him with assault."

Francesca sputtered. "Yeah and how would that make you look?"

"I don't care how it'll make me look. If he attacked you, then you should have him locked up."

"I don't know Ray."

"Okay, tell Benny you want him to save your honor so he'll go beat the crap out of Tom. Benny's all gung ho when it comes to honor and duty."

"Don't be an ass Ray!"

"He'd do it if you asked him."

"No I'm not goin' to ask him to do that. That's stupid!"

"Yeah, well it's stupid for you and Benny to be fightin' over an asshole like Tom. I told you before you started datin' him that I'd get stuck between the two of you fightin'."

Francesca sighed. "Ray we're not fightin', we just aren't seein' eye to eye on this."

"Whatever Frannie. You need to think and so does he, but I wouldn't wait too long to talk to him. He's pretty stubborn. If he decides that he's not goin' to talk to you about this then he won't."

Francesca leaned back against the sofa and smiled at Ray. "He'll talk to me. You don't even know him, I 'do'."

Ray's mouth dropped open and he began to laugh. "I don't know him? I've known Benny for over two years now. I've worked with him, gone on vacations with him and I've been through some things with him that you'll never even come close to doin'. How can you say you know him better than me! You've only been datin' him for four months!"

Francesca laughed back at Ray. "I bet you I know more about Benton than you."

"You can't. It's impossible."

"Okay, what's his favorite color?"

Ray smiled. "That's easy. Blue. My turn. What's Benny's favorite flavor of ice cream?"

"That's too easy Ray. Chocolate. With the little pieces of chocolate in it. He just about has an orgasm when he eats it." Ray made a face at her and she laughed.

"Where is Benton the most ticklish?"

Ray stared at her. "That's not fair."

"Why?"

"Because I don't go around touchin' him that's why."

"That's no excuse Ray. He could have told you. Where is it?"

"I don't know!"

"The arch of his foot. You know the first time I tickled him there I thought he was gonna' die laughin'. Have you ever really heard him laugh Ray. God he's so different. His whole face lights up!"

"O...kay, so you know he's ticklish. What's his favorite snack?"

Francesca grinned evilly at Ray. "Me."

"Aw come on Frannie that is disgusting!"

Francesca pushed back against the sofa laughing, but she immediately stopped and clutched at her shoulder.

"That serves you right!"

Between gritted teeth she answered him. "It's popcorn Ray." She rubbed at her shoulder gingerly. "His favorite snack is popcorn. No salt, but he loves butter on it. He can eat a ton of the stuff." Francesca smiled again. "What is the thing that turns him on the most?"

"Knock it off Frannie! Give me a real question."

"His neck. Right here." She rest her finger on the pulse point of her neck right above her collarbone. "All I have to do is bite him there a few times and he's good to go. If he refuses to talk to me I'll distract him with that."

"You're a pig Francesca."

"No I'm not."

She smiled smugly at Ray. "Is it my fault I know more about Benton than you?"

"Hey, I'm sorry I never slept with Benny. I bet if I did I would know more than you."

"Yeah and I bet you wouldn't be as miserable either. He'd give it to you but good!"

"Knock it off!"

"Oh come on Ray, you saw him, you know he has the tools. I know that he's a craftsman."

"That's enough!"

"No. One more. If you get this right we'll call it even."

"It can't be about sex, it has to be about him."

"It is, don't worry."

"Besides me (Francesca buffed her ring on her sweater) tell me the name of the woman that Benton loved the most."

"You're just being nice. It was Victoria." *God knows why!* So now we're even."

"Nope, it wasn't her."

"What? He said he never really had a girlfriend..."

Francesca sat up. "What did you say?"

"He said he'd tell you Frannie so I won't. What's the answer?"

"Wait a minute, Benton told you he never had a girlfriend before?"

"I just said he'll tell you, not me. I promised him. Now who is it?"

Francesca looked peeved. "He'd better tell me. It was Caroline, his mom, so there. I know more about Benton than you. Admit it." She stuck her tongue out at Ray.

Francesca leaned back and closed her eyes. "You know Ray, he said he loves the sound of silence in the mountains when it snows. The way the sun shines on it, making it look like a million diamonds. He loves the snow Ray." She opened her eyes and grinned at Ray. "But he said he loves me more than the snow."

Ray shook his head and smiled back at her. "You really do love Benny don't you?"

"I told you I did. I wouldn't have taken this ring from him if I didn't. He'll talk to me too. I'll make him. One way or another." 

**********

Fraser talked to Diefenbaker as he changed out of his uniform and into his sweats. Unbuckling his Sam Browne he threw it across the room. Shaking his head he immediately walked over to where it had landed and he picked it up checking it for scratch marks. *I have got to calm down*

"Diefenbaker, I don't understand her sometimes. Why won't she press charges against him? He almost dislocated her shoulder!" As he roughly unbuttoned his serge one of the button flew off and rolled across the floor. His hands were shaking as he picked the button up and rolled it in the palm of his hand. Dief let out a low growl.

"Yes I would like to bite him. I would like to rip his throat out...but I can't." Diefenbaker whined and Fraser looked over at him sharply. "No you can't either I'm afraid. We would both end up on the wrong side of the law and then I would have to deal with Francesca." At that comment Dief let out a short bark and rolled on his side. Fraser grinned down at him. "Yes I know, I wouldn't want to cross her. She has an extremely volatile temper." He thought about Dewey's chin. *Not to mention a good right hook.*

Fraser again grew serious when he thought about Francesca being grabbed by Tom. Tom was huge and Francesca was so small. She had to have been terrified. The thought of her being touched by that...thing. *Calm down. Do not lose control.* Taking several deep breaths Fraser sat on the edge of the bed looking down at the floor. "I have to do something Diefenbaker. I can't let this happen to her again."

Standing back up Fraser finished removing his uniform and pulled on his socks and sweat pants, then laced his sneakers. Looking through his dresser he smiled and pulled on the 'Made in Canada' t-shirt that Francesca had given him for Christmas. Then he put on a light sweatshirt and his heavy RCMP sweatshirt overtop of it. "I'm going out for a run. Maybe it will help me think clearer. Would you care to join me?"

Fraser grinned when Diefenbaker scrambled across the wooden floor and ran down the hall. He could hear him jumping down the stairs. As Fraser approached the bottom of the stairs Dief was standing at the door waging his tail. "I take that as a yes?" After locking up the house he began to jog with Diefenbaker bouncing in the snow ahead of him.

**********

The run wasn't clearing his head as he had wanted it to. The more he ran the angrier he got. *I have got to start thinking clearly. I can not afford to let my emotions dictate my actions in this matter.* After running for over an hour Fraser stopped when he notice that Dief wasn't staying with him.

He walked back to where Dief lay on the sidewalk. "You are getting too soft. You have got to stop begging at the table. I don't care how much you love Ma's cooking, you're going on a diet!" Dief tucked a paw over his muzzle. "I don't care. And as Francesca has said to me, acting cute will not work. Let's go." He turned to continue running, but Dief whined at him.

Turning around Fraser looked at him in surprise. "You're not coming?" Dief barked and looked down the road. "Oh. I hadn't noticed." Fraser had unknowingly backtracked and was only a short distance from the Vecchio's house. He looked down the street and licked his lower lip.

"I don't know Dief. Do you think she would want to talk to me now?" Dief's answer was to jump up against him and run a short distance down the road. He stopped and turned to see if Fraser was following him. "Go ahead to Ray's I'll be there shortly." Dief took off down the road. Fraser slowly began the short jog back to the Vecchio's, trying to think of what he would say to Francesca. 

**********

"Ray? What's that noise?"

Ray sat in his recliner and strained to hear what Francesca was talking about. Then they both heard a bark. "That's Diefenbaker. Benny must be here."

"No! I would have never guessed that. Well it's about time. Why don't you go and let him in."

"No, you do it. There's nothin' wrong with your legs and you're the one who needs to talk to him, not me."

"You're a real pain in the ass Ray."

Francesca pushed herself up from the sofa and walked into the foyer. Peeking out the door she saw only Diefenbaker. As soon as she opened it Dief ran past her and went into the den. Stepping outside Francesca looked around the yard and up the street. "Benton? Are you out here?" *Where is he?* She walked back into the house and took one last look outside before closing the door.

Walking back into the den she saw Diefenbaker stretched out on the floor behind the sofa. He looked calm and content. Ray glanced over at her. "Where's Benny?"

"He's not here, it's just Diefenbaker."

Ray shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his recliner. "I guess there's nothin' wrong with him. Dief doesn't look upset. Maybe Benny's pissed about what you said and he's takin' out on Dief, so he decided to come here."

Francesca looked down at Diefenbaker who regarded her with one eye. "Benton wouldn't do that." *Would he?* "Come on Diefenbaker, let's get you somethin' to eat you poor thing."

Francesca took Diefenbaker into the kitchen and spooned out a large portion of lasagna and set it down in front of him. Dief gobbled it up and looked at her whining for more. She ruffled the fur under his chin. "You poor baby, Frannie'll take care of you." She got him a bowl of water, then she spooned out some ice cream for her and Diefenbaker. As she ate she spoke to him.

"What is wrong with him? Why is he jealous of Tom? I mean Tom's big and he's nice lookin', but let's face it, he's nowhere near as good lookin' as Benton is. Plus he has the manners of an animal." Dief looked up from his bowl and barked sharply at her. "Sorry. No offense." She waved her spoon at Dief as he resumed eating. "Benton's so nice and polite. The only place he's an animal is where it counts. In bed." Francesca snickered and Dief let out a low growl. "God, you're as bad as Ray." Diefenbaker's ears pricked up and he took once last lick from his bowl and ran out of the kitchen. Francesca stared at the kitchen entrance. "Now what was that all about?"

She got up and walked into the foyer toward the den when there was a knock at the door. Grinning she walked over to the door. *Diefenbaker is smart. He's not goin' to be caught eatin'.* She peeked out the door. *Hum. Sweaty Mountie. Things are lookin' up.* Francesca schooled her features, opened the door, looked blankly at Fraser and walked back to the kitchen. Sitting at the table she played with her ice cream.

Fraser peek cautiously into the kitchen. "May I come in?"

"Sure." *He looks like he's scared of me.* She bit her lip trying not to smile. "Would you like some ice cream?"

"No thank you."

"We have chocolate silk mocha." *If he were a wolf his ears just pricked up.*

"What's that?"

"Rich milk chocolate ice cream with coffee and chocolate slivers. Do you want 'some'?"

Fraser looked directly at her as he spoke. "I always want 'some'."

"Yeah, I know." *He knows that I'm not mad at him the little shit.* "Can you get it? The ice cream."

Fraser gave her a small smile. "Yes I believe that I can." He went and got himself a bowl and sat across from her at the table.

"Benton you should take your sweat shirt off. You'll freeze when you go back out if you don't."

"I don't know who is worse, you or Ray." He pulled off his sweat shirts and set them on the chair next to him.

Francesca eyed him as he ate a spoonful of ice cream. "Benton can I ask you a question?"

Fraser held up a finger and swallowed. He smiled brightly back at her. "This is good. Yes you can ask me a question."

"How much weight have you lost?"

"I don't believe that I have lost any weight Francesca."

"Since we've been goin' out you have. Do you eat regularly?"

Fraser laughed and shook his head. "You 'are' just like Ray. He's always bothering me about how I eat. I eat when I am hungry. You probably think I've lost weight because this shirt is a bit large."

Francesca gave him a look that said she didn't believe him. "Are you hungry now?"

"No. But this is...chocolate."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. "Have you changed your mind about pressing charges against Tom?"

Francesca let her spoon drop noisily into her bowl. "No. I told you before, I'm not goin' to do it."

Fraser stared into his bowl and stirred the ice cream not looking at her.

"Benton I'm sorry I said what I did to you earlier, but I'm not goin' to change my mind."

Fraser sighed. "I know you didn't say it to purposely hurt me, you just said it without thinking about it." He still hadn't looked up from his bowl. "Would you mind if I had a little 'talk' with Tom?"

"What do you want to talk to him about?"

Fraser ate another spoonful of ice cream. When he looked back up at her he was frowning. "I would like to talk to him about what he did and how he is going to treat you in the future."

Francesca looked at him in surprise. "You're gonna' talk to him. That's it?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise not to kill him?"

Fraser put his spoon down. "I am not going to 'kill' him Francesca, I would just like to discuss some things with him."

"Promise me you aren't goin' to kill him."

"I promise I will not beat Tom to death. Is that adequate?"

"Yeah it's good enough."

Fraser stood and took their bowls and rinsed them out, setting them in the sink. "I have the early shift tomorrow and I will not be able to stop by in the evening. I have to escort Inspector Thatcher to a consular function. The Italian embassy representatives from New York are coming and she found out that I have been studying Italian so..."

"So you're to be her 'date' for the evening."

"I am not her date Francesca, I will be her escort."

Francesca snorted. "Oh, you go together, you stand by her side all night, she hangs on you and you eat together. The only thing you're not doin' is havin' sex with her." *I bet she wishes you would have sex with her.* "That's a date Benton. I don't like it one bit."

"I am sorry but this is part of my job duties."

"Where in your manual does it say that you have to be her gigolo?"

"Francesca, I am her junior officer, it is my duty..."

"If she were a guy would you have to escort him? You said you wanted to get Ray a date with her then let him take your place tomorrow night. He speaks Italian, he can stand by her, he can eat. And if it's sex she wants he can give it to her I'm sure."

Fraser gave Francesca a dirty look, but as he thought about what she had said a smile slowly came to his face. "How would we get Ray to take my place?"

Francesca had been joking, but apparently Fraser thought it was a good idea. "You're serious. You'd let Ray go in your place?"

"Yes, it would be perfect. But how can I get Ray to go and how would I get Inspector Thatcher to let Ray take my place?"

Francesca smiled at Fraser. She clutched her shoulder and began to cry.

"Francesca are you all right?" Fraser was immediately kneeling by her side looking at her with a worried expression.

She grinned at him. "Yes I fine you silly. This is how you're goin' to get Ray to take your place."

Fraser took her hand and kissed it. "I knew you were a good actress, but that was unbelievable. I will have to keep an eye on you in the future. But how am I going to get Thatcher to let him take my place."

"I don't know that yet. We'll have to think about it."

Francesca smiled again. "Ray isn't going to have a clue."

"And neither will Inspector Thatcher if we plan it correctly."

Francesca hit Fraser lightly on the shoulder. "This is too perfect. Let's go take care of Ray."

She moved to get up, but Fraser put out his hand to stop her. "Not yet."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry I ran out this afternoon, I shouldn't have done that. I would like to apologize for my actions."

"Hum. Let's see. You're on your knees apologizin' to me. Should I accept it or not?" She reached out and mussed his hair. "I guess I will." She wiped her hand on his chest. "Eeeww, you're sweaty. I love you dearly, but you need a bath."

Fraser rested his arms on her lap and looked up at her smiling innocently. "If you weren't injured you could give me a bath."

Francesca couldn't help laughing at him. "I wish the people at work could hear some of the things you say to me. They would die."

"But they never will. The things I say are for you only." Fraser ran a finger lightly along her sling. "May I see what he did to you."

Francesca hesitated. "I really don't think you want to see this, but I guess you will sooner or later." She stood up and grabbed his hand. "Now be quiet, I don't want Ray to know we're goin' to my room." She pulled him out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Fraser whispered to her as they walked up the stairs. "He knows we can't do anything with your being injured."

"Uh huh. Remember what you did when you were hurt?"

Fraser smiled shyly at her. "That's different."

"No it's not. Come on." 

**********

She led him into her room, shutting the door and locking it.

"Francesca there is no need to lock the door."

"Really? Then how come every time you say that, there is eventually a need for it?"

Fraser began to blush. "I didn't...I wanted to see...your arm, not..."

"Geez Benton! We're gettin' married in a few months. How can you still get so embarrassed." She watched as he swallowed nervously.

"I'm sorry."

"Help me take my sling and sweater off."

Fraser slowly removed her sling, then began unbuttoning her sweater, his fingers shaking slightly as he did it.

*What is wrong with him?*

He pulled the sweater off of her good arm. Francesca found herself holding her breath as he slid it off her injured one. She watched his face as his fingers lightly went over her shoulder and her upper arm, gently touching the bruises. His face quickly darkened and his jaw tightened. "I swear if he ever touches you again..."

She quickly cut him off. "No. I won't hear you say something like that. That's not you."

Fraser gently embraced Francesca trying not to hold her too tightly, softly stroking her back. "No, this is me and I swear I will kill him if he ever comes near you again."

She could feel him shaking as he held her, his breathing shallow and ragged. "You know you can't kill him. You won't. It's goes against everything you stand for and if you did, where would that leave me? All alone again, without you." She rested her head against his chest and ran her hand down his back. *God he's as tight as a spring!*

She could hear his heartbeat. Usually it was a nice slow rhythm, now it was fast and erratic. "You need to calm down Benton, it's not goin' to do any good to get angry over this."

"Look what he did to you! I can't just 'calm' down. I...haven't felt like this since...Gerrard admitted to me that he had my father killed."

She was starting to get worried. This wasn't the calm person that she was use to seeing.

Fraser moved slowly away from her and leaned against her bureau, looking at the floor as he spoke. "Francesca I never told anyone this. I didn't even put this in my official report."

"I don't need to hear it. You would never..."

"No. I have to tell you. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not this...person that you see." He laughed bitterly. "When Gerrard said he had my father murdered I came so close to killing him. I had my gun in his face. All I had to do is pull the trigger and he would have been dead. The only thing that stopped me is that my father would never have been cleared. I couldn't let his reputation be ruined by Gerrard."

"That proves that you're not a killer Benton. You couldn't kill Gerrard and you won't kill Tom."

Fraser shook his head. "No I have killed. It's always been in the line of duty." Fraser smiled grimly. "Duty always makes it legal." He looked at her, his word spoken with bitterness. "Do you know what it's like to take someone's life? Knowing that you've stopped a heart from beating? Seeing their face as they die?"

"No and I hope I never will, but the fact that you're this upset proves you won't do anythin' to him. You are 'not' a killer."

Fraser shook his head no. "When an animal in the wild attacks a human it's marked as rouge. You hunt it down and you kill it so they don't do it again. Tom is an animal, he's not human. If he touches you again I 'will' kill him."

Francesca stared at Fraser feeling herself go numb. He wasn't bluffing. He was stating it as a fact, pure and simple. She knew he was telling her the truth. He 'would' kill Tom. Her own anger brought her voice to her. "Benton stop it! You are so selfish. If anythin' happens to you...I don't want to go through life alone. If I can deal with this why can't you? Just drop it!"

Fraser closed his eyes and he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I hate him Francesca."

"I know you do, but you can't kill him." She moved forward and hugged him with her good arm. "You promised me you wouldn't."

She felt his hand gently curl around her hair, pushing strands behind her ear. "Yes I promised I wouldn't." He slowly returned her hug, mindful of her injury. "I am sorry Francesca." It was barely a whisper as he spoke. "I love you more than anything or anyone in the world."

She smiled and hugged him again. "I love you too."

She had been right all along. Fraser was no different than any other man. He had just learned how to hide his feelings so well that people didn't think that he had any. He had opened himself up to her and was gradually letting her see the real person, not what he presented to the world. She almost laughed outloud. She really did know him better than Ray. Better than anyone else ever would.

She rested her hand against his chest again and felt his heartbeat as it slowed down to it's normal rhythm. Either he was controlling it or he was finally beginning to relax. She lifted her hand off his chest and smiled. If they were to get Ray to take his place tomorrow they would have to do it tonight. "Benton." She traced her fingers over his face. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Are you feelin'...well enough to go downstairs and put 'operation get Ray laid' into motion?"

She saw a small smile appear on his face. "Francesca, we are getting Ray a date."

"So he can get laid. Isn't that the objective of dating?"

Fraser shook his head and the smile grew bigger. "Is that right?"

"Yes it is. Remember I was willin' to by pass the datin' stage to get you in bed."

"How could I ever forget that? I'm glad I was able to control myself then."

"And I'm glad you finally learned to lose control in that area. Now we need go downstairs and get Ray a date so he can get laid."

"It's nothing more than a date Francesca."

She whispered under her breath as she pulled away from Fraser and led him out into the hall. "Laid."

Fraser's breath was hot on her neck and she could hear the laughter in his voice as he whispered in her ear. "Date." 

**********

Fraser and Francesca walked into the den and moved to the sofa. Ray watched as Fraser lay down first, then Francesca lay down and tucked herself against him.

"Hello! You two aren't in bed ya' know. Try sittin' up."

Fraser looked over at Ray and shook his head no. "She's not feeling well Ray. Let her be."

Ray stared at him in amazement. "You two sure patched things up fast."

Francesca laid her head against Fraser's chest and began crying softly as she held her shoulder.

Ray's demeanor quickly changed when he heard her crying. "Are you okay Frannie?"

Her reply was muffled. "Yes."

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Fraser peeked down at Francesca who was grinning up at him. It was all he could do to not smile at Ray. "Well there is something you can do Ray. I would have to clear it with Inspector Thatcher first."

Ray gave Fraser a look. "What does Thatcher have to do with this?"

Fraser rubbed Francesca's back as he spoke. "There is a consular event tomorrow night and I am to escort Inspector Thatcher, but I would rather stay with Francesca. Is there any way that you could take my place?"

Ray made another face. "And what would I do? Wear your uniform and let her yell at me?" Ray grinned at his own barb.

Fraser stared blankly back at Ray. *He never lets up!* "No. The embassy representatives will be from Italy. I had thought that maybe you could entertain them. Talk to them."

"I don't know Benny. A whole night with a bunch of stuffed shirts and the Dragon Lady."

"Would you please not call her that. She is a very nice person once you get to know her."

"Yeah right."

"Ray, you speak fluent Italian. The Inspector is under the impression that I do as well. I tried to explain to her I only know the basics of the language, but she would not listen to me. Would you please take my place tomorrow evening?" Fraser nodded slightly at Francesca as he gave Ray his best big eyed Mountie look.

"I hate you! You know I hate when you look at me like that!"

"Does that mean you will go?"

"Yes I'll go. What do I have to do?" Ray gave Fraser a dirty look when he smiled at him.

"As I have stated I still have to clear this with the Inspector but...do you have a tuxedo?"

"Yeah I do."

"Good. Wear it and pick her up at her apartment at eight. You will use the consular car."

"What's wrong with the Riv?"

"Trust me Ray. Pick her up in the consular car." Fraser mentally smiled as he pictured how Thatcher would react if Ray came to pick her up in the Riv. She would not be pleased.

"You will be there rather late so don't make any other plans for the evening. Also, do not eat anything before you go. The food at these events is always excellent. There is also the chance that some dancing may be involved."

Ray grinned at Fraser. "You dance with the Dragon Lady?"

"Yes I would dance with 'Inspector Thatcher' if the occasion called for it. She is a very good dancer."

Ray watched Fraser jerk back on the sofa and he yelled out in surprise and pain. "Frannie! What did you do to him?"

Fraser looked down at Francesca frowning as he rubbed his chest. "She pinched me."

Francesca's voice was rather loud. "You never told me you danced with her! Are you sure you didn't do more than just kiss her?"

"Francesca I have told you before we never...did anything of that nature."

"If I ever find out that you did I'll cut your dick off!"

Fraser blinked in surprise at her and pushed himself up and away from her. "Why are you getting so upset? I would dance with her, nothing more."

Francesca sat up and glared at Fraser. "Well the idea of you and Thatcher sweating all over one another isn't nice."

Fraser cocked his head to the side narrowing his eyes. "What about you and Tom?"

Ray sat stiffly in his recliner. *Oh boy! Here it comes!*

"Did you ever sleep with Tom?"

"You are so ignorant! I told you I never slept with him or anyone else since I first saw you! You did that bitch Victoria! And if I ever did sleep with Tom what would it matter, you and I weren't together!"

"If you had, then it would explain why he's acting like this."

Francesca's eyes widened. "Oh! So it means you think I fucked him and that's the only reason he wants me? Because I'm a good lay?!"

"I didn't say that."

"You might as well have!"

Fraser looked at Francesca, then over at Ray who was silently watching them. "Excuse me Ray. Could you please leave the room. I would like to talk to Francesca privately."

"Sure Benny."

Ray popped out of his recliner and was almost to the door before Francesca yelled at him. "You stay right here Ray!" She looked at Fraser. "Why does he need to leave?"

"Frannie, I'm goin' in the kitchen. You two need to get this settled once and for all. Come get me when you're done fightin'." Ray walked out of the room leaving the two of them sitting alone on the sofa.

Francesca kept glaring at Fraser. "So you think I'm 'fucking' Tom behind your back?"

Fraser leaned forward and placed his face in his hands. Then he sat back up and ran a hand through his hair taking a deep breath. "No I do not think you are doing anything with Tom, but why are you protecting him?"

"God you are so stubborn! I am 'not' protectin' him."

"Then why aren't you willing to press charges against him? What is there to stop him from doing this to you again?"

She could feel the tears beginning to well up. *I will 'not' cry!* "Okay! You want to know why? Because half of the precinct thinks I'm a slut that's why. If I try and turn Tom in they won't believe me. They'll think I was leadin' him on."

"No one thinks that you are a...slut. They think you are rather strange for being with me, but other than that everyone likes you."

"Wait a minute. You think everyone thinks I'm weird for bein' with you?"

Fraser nodded yes.

She started laughing. "Oh you are so dense! I hate to burst your bubble, but every single woman at the station wants you."

"You are exaggerating."

She snorted. "No I'm 'not'! Your ass gets stared at more than a dancer at Delilah's Den."

"But...that is...well I heard..."

"Face it Benton. They would line up in the halls to have a chance at you. And if they knew what I know they would fight each other to get to you first."

Fraser picked at a spot on the sofa mumbling under his breath. "That is not true."

Francesca yelled at him. "Oh wake the hell up Benton!"

His head snapped up and he looked at her shocked by the tone of her voice.

"They see me as the slut and you as untouched virgin territory. The innocent boy scout."

Fraser spoke softly. "But we are neither. And I have never heard anyone call you any type of name."

Francesca laughed. "Well you're not at the station all the time. And do you honesty think they'd say anything when you were near? Not that anyone is afraid of you. They're afraid that you might tell Ray. They know Ray would go nuts on them."

"Benton the women are jealous that I'm with you. And the guys...they all think that Tom and I did it. He's told people that we have. He is such an asshole!"

"Then press charges against him! Stop him from doing this to you!"

"No! No way! I'm not gonna' be humiliated in court. Tom will get a few friends to stick up for him. You of all people should know how the system works. He's a cop and I'm a civilian aid. They protect their own. I'm not gonna' do it, so you might as well drop it. I'm tired of arguin' with you over this."

Fraser looked at his feet as he spoke. "Then 'I' will take care of it."

Francesca gave him a quick look. "Yes I know. You said you would 'talk' to him."

"Yes."

Francesca bit her lip. *Well...since we're clearing the air I might as well ask him.* "Benton...did you ever sleep with Thatcher? Even once?"

"I have told you before that I did not."

"Did you ever think about havin' sex with her?"

Fraser looked away. "Yes."

Francesca closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa. "So you did think about her that way?"

Fraser sighed. "Yes I did."

Francesca's voice was full of hurt. "You know, for the past two years all I thought about was you. I never once did anything with anyone. I turned down a lot of men waiting for you. Tom wasn't the only one who wanted me."

Fraser remained silent.

"If you wanted her so bad, why didn't you go after her?"

"Because I didn't love her. I was in love with someone else." He leaned back against the sofa next to Francesca. "I was in love with you. That's why I never acted on my...urges."

Fraser slowly reached over and took her hand in his. When she didn't pull away from his touch he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her gently. "If we are to have a future together we must both let go of the past. I can not change what I have done and neither can you."

"I know, but you 'work' with her."

"If I wanted to have sex with Inspector Thatcher would I be trying to get Ray and her together? And why would I have admitted that I had thought of her in that way?"

Francesca looked away from him. "But she still wants 'you'."

Fraser removed his arm from Francesca. "She doesn't want me. She has never made any attempt in the past...to approach me in that manner. I do not believe that she ever would. She is my superior officer."

Francesca gave a weak laugh. "And I'm Ray's little sister, but you got over 'that' didn't you?"

Fraser closed his eyes and sighed. Looking at Francesca he knew she had made her mind up. She thought he would still do something with Thatcher if given the chance. He would have to convince her otherwise if their relationship was to continue.

"It seems as if you will never accept that I did consider sleeping with her."

"How can I forget that? Damn it Benton, you see her everyday at work!"

Fraser bit his lip and shook his head. "Francesca you said you have thought of no one else, except for me these past two years."

"Yes I did."

"Before I came here I know that you had to have thought of men in a sexual way. Would they have possibly worked at the precinct? Are they still there? Would I know one or more of these men? Do 'you' work with any of them?"

Francesca looked at Fraser clearly shocked. "You're tryin' to turn the table around on me!"

"Ah. I will take that as a yes."

"That's 'not' fair and you know it!"

"And is it fair of you to continually accuse me of wanting to have sex with Inspector Thatcher simply based on the fact that at one time I did consider it? I have promised myself to you. That should be enough."

"What about how 'she' feels Benton? What would you do if tomorrow she approached you and professed her undyin' love for you. That she's wanted you all this time and she wants to get you before you make the mistake of marryin' me."

Fraser could only stare at Francesca, then he began to laugh. "Dear Lord, where do you get these ideas from? She would never do that! You are being ridiculous. I believe that you have watched that Analise and Ben series too many times."

"Oh I'm ridiculous now?"

"Yes!"

"I find out that you wanted Thatcher. I know you fucked Victoria."

Fraser glared at her. "Do you have to say it that way?"

Francesca waved him off. "Whatever! Who else have you been with? According to Ray you never had a girlfriend before. So that means you've only wanted two other woman before me and you had one of them."

Fraser blinked once or twice and smiled at her. "You think I've only been with Victoria?"

"Ray said you never had a girlfriend before. He said you admitted it to him."

Fraser started laughing. "Francesca you do not have to make a woman your girlfriend to have sex with her." He waited for her reaction smiling the entire time.

"Wait a minute! You're tellin' me that you would just..."

"Yes."

"You wouldn't date them? You would just...

"Have sex with them."

Francesca narrowed her eyes. "You?"

Fraser looked back at her calmly, the trace of a smile still on his lips.

"Yes me. As I have told Ray I will tell you now. When I was much younger I went through a period in my life where I was not averse to sexual gratification without a relationship."

"You have got to be kiddin' me!"

"No I am not."

She was stunned. "You? You were a pig just like the rest of them? Why did you stop satisfyin' yourself?"

He knew she wouldn't be happy with his answer. "Because when I met Victoria I loved her. She was the only one that I wanted. I waited for her."

"Let me get this straight. You waited for her all that time, she pops up and she does all of that stuff to you?"

"Yes. Apparently the feelings were not mutual."

"But you told Ray you wanted me. And that was before Victoria." She looked at him smugly.

"But did I act on my feelings? No. One, because it wouldn't have been right. Two, because of my feelings for Victoria. I can not explain myself Francesca. I sometimes wonder what I was thinking then."

"And now you love me. Once you've been with me you'll never...with anyone else? Ever again?"

"I would not have asked you to marry me if I were not certain. The only way I would ever consider sex with anyone else would be if you left me."

"Don't say that! That's not even funny."

He took her hand and squeezed it. "Does that mean you are not going to leave me and you will stay with me until I die?"

She felt a chill go down her spine. Fraser dead. That wasn't something she wanted to think about. "No I'm not leavin' you and you're not goin' to die." She took her hand from his and poked him sharply in the chest. "You're mine, no one else gets you and if Thatcher ever does approach you with an offer you had better send her to me." Francesca moved back until she was once again curled up beside Fraser. "It's until death do we part Benton and don't you forget it!"

He gave her a hug. "Yes Francesca. Until death do us part. Or at least until you get tired of me."

She pinched him again.

"Ow!"

"Don't start Benton."

**********

It had been some time since Ray had heard the murmur of their voices coming from the den. "This is stupid! If I have to drink one more cup of coffee I'm gonna' puke!" He stood up from the table and walked back to the den. *I don't care if they're still fightin', I'm gonna' relax and watch television. 'They' can go back in the kitchen.* He stepped into the den. *No wonder they were so quiet.*

Fraser and Francesca were laying together on the sofa asleep. He shook his head talking softly. "You two are way too weird. One minute you guys are arguin' and now you're all cuddled up together. You make me sick." Ray sat back in his recliner and turned on the Bulls game. Taking the remote he peeked at the sleeping pair and turned the volume up. When they didn't stir he turned back to the game, smiling contentedly. 

**********

Ray got up from his recliner and stood looking down at the pair sleeping on the sofa. They looked so peaceful. It was a shame that he had to wake them. "Frannie. Frannie. Wake up."

Francesca rolled slightly away from Fraser's warm body and squinted up at Ray. "Huh?"

Ray grinned down at her. "It's time to go to bed and Benny's gotta' get home."

Francesca moved stiffly as she sat up. "Can you get me a glass of water and my pills. They're on the counter in the kitchen. Please."

Ray grinned. Fraser's manners were finally starting to rub off on her. "Sure. Are you gonna' wake up sleepin' beauty?"

She smiled and reached out to touch Fraser's hair. "Yeah, I'll wake him up."

Ray left the room and Francesca sat quietly, looking at Fraser as he slept. *I've said it before and I know I'll say it again. He looks so innocent.* She pushed at his shoulder. "Benton. Get up." He didn't move.

Ray walked back into the den with her water and pills. "I don't see him awake yet Frannie."

She grinned. "He's not that easy to get up Ray. Well at least from sleepin' and I don't feel like yellin' at him." *Yeah 'cause you yelled at him enough tonight.*

"You are such a pig!" Francesca laughed at Ray and he made a face at her. "So did you two get your problems solved?"

"I think so." She reached out and pushed Fraser on the shoulder again. "See. I told you."

"He has to go home Frannie. He does have a job to go to in the mornin'."

"Yeah I know. I can't wait until we get married. I'm tired of his havin' to go home." She pushed him in the chest repeatedly. "Benton. Benton. Benton!"

Fraser's eyes popped open and he looked first at Francesca, then up at Ray. He hurriedly sat up. "What's wrong?"

"It's bedtime."

"Oh." He rubbed at his eyes. "I'm sorry I fell asleep."

"That's okay, so did I. Ray woke me up a few minutes ago."

Fraser stood up and frowned at Francesca. "I can't wait until we get married. I'm getting tired of having to go home without you."

"I just said the same thing! Isn't that neat Ray?"

"Yeah Frannie, that's really 'neat'."

"It sounds like you're a bit grumpy when you first wake up Benny."

"I am 'not' grumpy, I'm tired, that is all." He held his hand out to Francesca and pulled her to the door with him. "Goodnight Ray."

"Goodnight Benny." *Grumpy.*

Fraser stopped at the door, looking at Ray, obviously irritated. "I am not grumpy Ray." He looked down at Diefenbaker. "Diefenbaker." Dief stood up and stretched, following Fraser and Francesca out of the den.

Ray stood rooted to the spot he was in. *How in the hell did he do that? I didn't even say it outloud.* 

**********

Francesca leaned against Fraser as he hugged her. "I'll be by tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't forget to ask Thatcher if Ray can take your place."

Fraser smiled and gave her a kiss. "I will not forget. Goodnight." He moved away from her and opened the door, giving her another kiss before closing it behind him.

Francesca peeked out the window and watched them until they walked out of view. With a sigh she went back to the den, took her painkillers and headed up to bed. 

**********

Fraser stood at the heavy wooden door before him. He reached out to knock on it and withdrew his hand. Then he reached forward once more and rapped on it twice.

"Come in."

Taking a deep breath he opened the door and stepped into Thatcher's office.

She looked up at Fraser as she set her pen down. "How may I help you Constable?"

Fraser fidgeted. How many times had he heard that phrase from her lately. He had been asking a lot of her these past few months. With a mental sigh he prepared himself. *Please let her say yes.* "I was hoping...well wondering if it would be possible if I did not attend tonight's consular event."

"No Constable it would 'not' be possible. I was counting on you to help with entertaining the Italian representatives."

"And I have already thought of that sir. I have asked Ray Vecchio if he would take my place this evening and he has accepted. He speaks fluent Italian and would be better suited for this occasion."

"Detective Vecchio?" *Mr. Pond Scum?* "At one of my consular functions?" Thatcher looked at Fraser like he was insane. "Have you been hit in the head again?"

"No sir."

"Constable, I wouldn't let Detective Vecchio 'near' the consulate tonight. He is rude, arrogant, uneducated...he has no business associating with the people who will be attending tonight."

Fraser could only stare at her. "Perhaps if you allowed Ray to attend in my place you would find that he is none of the things that you have accused him of. He can be very pleasant and a great conversationalist if given the opportunity."

Thatcher sat back in her chair looking Fraser over again. *Why is he being so persistent? What is he up to?* "Constable...if you tell me the reason why you do not wish to attend this evenings function then I will consider it."

Fraser shifted nervously from foot to foot. *I can't lie to her, but she did say reason. Not reasons.* "Sir I truly believe that Ray Vecchio would be a better choice for this evening. He can speak fluent Italian whereas I only know the basics of the language. He also has an extensive first hand knowledge of the local Italian culture." *As do I, but I do not believe that being attacked by the local Mafia qualifies as a suitable dinner topic.*

"Is that all?"

"Uh...no sir."

Thatcher sighed. Getting information from Fraser was like pulling teeth. If you didn't ask him direct questions, you would never get a direct answer. Fraser didn't lie, but he would never readily offer up the truth unless she asked for it. "Tell me or you will be my escort for the evening."

Fraser cocked his head to the side. "Does that mean that you have already decided to let Ray take my place?"

Thatcher continued looking at him, not saying a word.

*I might as well tell her.* "Francesca was involved in an...incident which left her shoulder injured. I would prefer to spend the evening with her instead of attending tonight's function."

*So it was the Vecchio woman again.* "You do understand that you can not shirk your duties in the R.C.M.P. just because you're getting married."

"I know this sir."

She picked her pen back up and tapped it against her Powerbook. Fraser was looking at her expectantly. *There's more to this, I know it. He's hiding something from me. Maybe I can get the information from Vecchio this evening.* She stopped herself. *Vecchio at the consulate mingling with dignitaries. This could prove to be an interesting night.*

Fraser watched as Thatcher smiled thinly at him.

"Tell Detective Vecchio to pick me up promptly at eight."

"Yes sir." Fraser smiled back at her. "I have already instructed him on his duties in the event that you would have agreed to let him take my place. Thank you kindly sir."

"You're welcome Constable. Dismissed."

Once Fraser had left her office Thatcher began thinking. What questions would she ask Vecchio? And more importantly...why had the detective readily agreed to take Fraser's place when he knew that she loathed him. Shaking her head she put her glasses on and continued keying the report that she had been working on when Fraser had come into her office. 

**********

Walking into the bullpen of the 27th precinct Fraser made a beeline for Ray's desk. He noted Francesca's empty desk and his chest tightened. He had finished his duties at the consulate and had gone home to change out of his dress reds before he came to see Ray.

As he sat down in the chair next to Ray's desk he smiled at the thought of Ray in his tuxedo, eating dinner with Inspector Thatcher. It wasn't a real date. Neither one of them had any idea what he and Francesca were up to. Fraser's smile was quickly replaced by a frown. He spied Tom Dougherty walking through the bullpen, making his way down one of the side halls. Without hesitating Fraser stood and followed him. 

**********

Dewey had watched Fraser come into the bullpen and sit at Ray's desk. He couldn't help watching the Mountie. Observing Fraser was almost a hobby to him now. Fraser was so...bizarre. Trying to figure the guy out was a mystery and it was one that this detective wanted to solve.

He watched as Fraser took off his jacket and stetson as he had a hundred other times before. He also watched as the few women in the area stopped what they were doing to watch Fraser. *God it must be nice to have all of those women drooling over you. Why in the hell did he want to marry Frannie when he could have a different one every night?*

A gentle smile appeared on Fraser's face. Then a frown and an angry glare swiftly replaced the smile. Dewey looked in the direction of Fraser's gaze. What would have caused him to get pissed? Dewey saw the retreating figure of Tom Dougherty. Fraser stood and followed him out of the room.

*Oh boy! Something's goin' to happen!* Dewey got up from his desk and hit Huey on the shoulder. "Come on."

"Where?"

"Fraser's followin' Tom and he does 'not' look like a happy camper."

Huey's eyebrows shot up. "The Mountie?"

"Yup. And he looks pissed off."

Huey stood and the pair made their way across the room only to be stopped by Ray who had just stepped in.

Ray had seen Fraser's stetson on his desktop and was now looking for him. "Hey, have you guys seen Benny?"

Huey and Dewey looked at one another, then at Ray. "Yeah. Come on."

"What's the matter?" Ray followed them down the hall. He saw Fraser and Tom walking into an interrogation room. His mouth went dry. *Christ Benny, don't be stupid!* Ray ran to the door and heard the lock click just as he stopped in front of it.

Huey and Dewey jogged up to him. "In here." Ray pulled the door quietly shut and hit the speaker button. They were in the observation section of the interrogation room that Fraser had gone into.

"What's going on Ray?" Huey looked at him puzzled.

"It's a long story, I'll make it short. Tom hurt Frannie and now Benny's gonna' talk to him about it."

"Talk?"

"Yeah. Talk."

Ray ran a hand nervously over his head as he watched the two men in the other room. Tom was grinning at Fraser who was looking blankly back at Tom. His face was void of any emotion, but Ray knew Fraser's body language and things did not look good. He was tight, ready to strike out at a moments notice. *Come on Benny, don't do this.*

Tom was the first to break the silence. "So ranger, what do you want to talk about?"

"I believe you know why we are here."

"Nope. Why don't you tell me?"

Fraser slowly approached Tom. He was an arms length from him when he stopped. "You assaulted Francesca here yesterday. I would like you to turn yourself in and admit to the charges."

Tom sneered. "Look you little prick, 'I' didn't assault the slut, she kept coming on to me and I told her to back off." 

Dewey looked quickly over at Ray. "Tom attacked Frannie here? In the precinct?"

Huey looked at Ray in surprise. "Why didn't she turn him in when it happened?"

Ray angrily waved them off. He was waiting to see Fraser's reaction. It happened immediately. 

Tom laughed at Fraser. "I don't take sloppy seconds."

Before Tom had a chance to move, Fraser reached out and grabbed him by the arm and shoulder, slamming his head down onto the table, twisting Tom's arm behind his back.

Tom yelled out in pain. "Let go of me you fucking prick!"

Fraser tilted his head and smiled down at Tom. "Let you go? I think not. I believe that Francesca asked you repeatedly to let her go and you continued to hurt her." Tom cried out as Fraser dug his fingers into his upper arm. "The marks that you left on her arm are...rather dark."

Fraser's smile was now replaced by a glare. "I am sure you have noticed how small Francesca is. I am also positive that you knew the level of pain that you were inflicting upon her." Fraser twisted Tom's arm again. "Do you know how terrified she must have been?"

Tom's voice was slightly muffled against the table top. "Fuck you and fuck that slut!" 

Ray, Dewey and Huey watched as Fraser grabbed Tom and slammed him face down on the table. Dewey was shocked. "Jesus Christ Ray! He's goin' to kill him!"

Ray hadn't moved. His feelings were pulling him in different directions. He was fascinated watching Fraser, seeing his anger. Knowing he was seeing the real man behind the polite Mountie facade.

Another part of his was cheering him on. Wanting Fraser to tear Tom apart for hurting his sister, but the biggest part of him was filled with fear. The fear of Fraser possibly losing control of himself and killing Tom before his very eyes. He knew that Fraser was capable of it, but seeing him do it, that was another thing.

Ray's voice was steady as he tried to keep Dewey and Huey from interfering. "He won't kill him."

Huey stared at Fraser and Tom enrapt by what he was seeing. "How do you know?"

"I just know okay. Benny won't kill him." *Please dear God, don't let him do it.*

All three of the men jerked back in surprise as Tom was lifted off of the table and thrown into the two way window. They watched as Fraser grabbed Tom by the front of his shirt and once more slammed him onto the table. This time he landed face up and before he could move Fraser was crouched above him with a knife in his hand. 

Things moved in slow motion to Fraser, but he knew that his movements were quick. There would be no way that Tom could retaliate, his reflexes were too slow. Fraser had watched him. Observed him. Know your enemy. Tom may have been a lot bigger than he was, but he couldn't move fast to save his life and that was all he would require to do what needed to be done.

Throwing him into the window, Fraser pulled Tom back and flipped him onto the table, jumping up he crouched over him. His one hand locked around Tom's shirt front and the other hand smoothly brought his razor sharp hunting knife from his boot to Tom's throat. The metal gleamed, reflecting the lights in the room.

Tom's adams apple bobbed as he swallowed in fear. Pressing the knife down into the flesh of his throat, Fraser watched the slow trickle of blood run down the side of Tom's neck. As he did this he became aware of his own blood pounding in his head. The sound of his own heavy breathing. He stared down into Tom's eyes seeing the terror growing in them as he realized that he would only have to pull the knife across his throat to kill him. Tom's voice was small as he pleaded with Fraser. "Please. Let me go. Don't kill me."

Fraser glared down at Tom. "What makes you think I'm going to kill you? This is only a warning." He leaned down closer to him, his voice low and menacing. "If you ever touch Francesca again I will gut you like a caribou. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

Taking the knife from Tom's throat he wiped the blood on it onto Tom's shirt. He jumped back and off of the table, smoothly sliding the knife into his boot. Standing straight he watched as Tom scrambled off of the table, and moved to the opposite side of the room.

Tom first touched his throat and brought his hand up to his face to look at the blood. Then he clutched his shoulder wincing in pain. Fraser stared back at him. Once more the figure of the calm, polite Mountie. He walked toward the door to leave, then stopped. Turning he spoke to Tom. "I will turn myself in for 'assaulting' you, but I would require that you turn yourself in as well."

Tom was trembling both in fear and in anger. "Fuck you!"

Without another word Fraser turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

**********

They watched as Tom slid to the floor after Fraser had left the room. He held his arm, grimacing in pain. Huey turned to Ray. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe it."

"Me either. Jesus Ray! He almost slit Tom's throat!"

Ray wheeled around and yelled at them both. "You didn't see what he did to Frannie! He almost broke her arm!"

"Shouldn't we report this?"

Ray couldn't believe what Huey said. He walked the few steps over to him. His face only inches from Huey's. "What you saw never leaves this room. It never happened. Do you understand me?"

Huey looked calmly back at him. "Yes."

Ray looked over at Dewey. "Yeah, whatever. Shit! Remind me not to piss Fraser off in the future. The guy is a maniac."

Ray closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Benny is 'not' a maniac, Tom is. Tom attacked Frannie, Benny's making sure it doesn't happen again."

"Do you think we should go and help him?" Huey indicated Tom.

"He can go to hell. Leave him in there. I'm gonna' go back to my desk." He pointed a finger at them. "Remember. Not a word." 

**********

Ray walked out of the observation room and down the hall. He couldn't get the image of Fraser crouched over Tom, holding a knife to his throat. He looked so...he couldn't place a finger on it. It nagged at him. Fraser looked like...Diefenbaker! That was it. Fraser looked like Diefenbaker when he attacked someone. *I'm gettin' as bad as Dewey. I'm comparin' Benny to an animal.*

He walked into the bullpen and saw Fraser sitting at his desk. He was blankly staring across the room at Francesca's desk. "Hey Benny."

Fraser didn't answer him. He touched him on the shoulder to get his attention and Fraser looked slowly up at him. "You wanna' go get something to eat?"

He stood and picked he stetson off of the desk. "Sure Ray."

They walked across the street to the diner and sat in a booth towards the back of the building. Ray looked at the menu while Fraser fingered the silverware sitting in front of him. He picked up the knife and turned it over in his hands.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Excuse me Ray?"

"Eat. What do you want?"

"Fries."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"I think I'll have the fisherman's platter."

Fraser shook his head. "Pick something smaller Ray, Inspector Thatcher has agreed to let you take my place this evening."

Ray was relieved to see a slight smile on Fraser's face. "She said yes?" Ray hadn't thought that Thatcher would let him take Fraser's place. Why did she? *Tonight is gonna' be really interesting.*

"Remember Ray, be prompt. Eight o'clock."

"Yes I know. At her apartment. Eight o'clock and bring my best manners with me."

Ray ordered a burger and leaned back in the booth. Fraser was again absently playing with the knife. His expression was rather dark and at the same time worried. "Benny do you remember that time you eavesdropped on me and Frannie?"

Fraser looked at him puzzled. They had talked about it several times. "Yes."

Ray tapped his fingers on the table, looking at Fraser as his hand tightened around the knife. *Well he knows I saw him.*

"You were watching me?"

"Yeah. Huey and Dewey were there too."

Fraser dropped the knife and looked away from Ray.

"They saw you going after Tom. I asked if they knew where you were and we went looking for you. Imagine what I thought when I saw you and Tom go in the interrogation room.

Fraser looked back at Ray clearly angry. "Ray that was a private matter."

Ray snapped back at Fraser. "No it wasn't! If it involves Frannie or you, it's my business. You're family."

Fraser stared back at Ray. What could he say to justify his actions. What he had done was clearly wrong.

"Can I ask you a question Benny?" Fraser only nodded yes. *Oh boy. Now he's going to shut up tighter than a clam.* "Is it a Canadian thing or is it you? Whenever you say you're gonna' talk to Frannie, you don't talk. You said you were goin' to talk to Tom and what you did wasn't exactly talkin' either."

Fraser didn't smile at him, but Ray could see the amusement in his eyes. "No it's not a 'Canadian' thing. It's me. I sometimes have a problem in my method of communicating with certain people."

Ray leaned over the table and whispered. "Well...I think you had a damn good talk with Tom."

Fraser shook his head. "No Ray I did not. I do not believe he was listening to what I said to him."

Ray chuckled. "He was. You didn't see how he acted after you left the room. He got your message loud and clear."

Fraser ran a shaky hand through his hair. "No Ray, he didn't. I know I'm going to have to watch him, to make sure he doesn't go near Francesca." He picked up the knife again. "I should have killed him."

*Jesus Benny!* "You aren't goin' to kill anyone. He got the message. He's not goin' to go near Frannie, trust me."

Fraser smiled nervously at Ray. "I would like to trust you Ray, but I have to trust my instincts first. He's not giving up. He still wants Francesca and if he can not have her, then he will make sure no one else does."

Ray could feel himself growing cold. Fraser's flat emotionless voice spoke the truth. He'd have to keep an eye on his sister until things calmed down a little. "Then we'll both keep an eye out for Frannie."

The waitress brought out their food and Ray wolfed down his burger. He eyed the large plate of fries that Fraser was poking at with his finger.

"You're not goin' to eat them?"

"No, I'm going to have them wrapped and take them back to Diefenbaker."

"Mind if I take a few?"

Ray reached for the golden fries and Fraser pulled the plate away from him. "No fries Ray. I told you to wait for the dinner at the consulate."

"But I'm starvin' now!"

Ray again reached for the plate and Fraser grabbed him by the hand. "I said no Ray."

"Geez! Dinner isn't until later!"

"You'll regret eating these once you see the food tonight."

Fraser lowered his voice. "Do not tell Francesca this, but I would not have minded going tonight. They are having maple cheesecake as one of the desserts."

"Maple cheesecake?"

Fraser closed his eyes and smiled. "It is 'so' good Ray."

He opened his eyes when Ray laughed at him. "I can't believe you! You of all people going ga ga over a dessert. Is it better than chocolate ice cream?"

Fraser smiled again. "No, that is entirely different."

"Yeah, I thought so. Frannie said you look like you're havin' an orgasm when you eat the stuff."

Fraser's face turned a slight pink. "She said that?"

Ray laughed. "Oh come on Benny, she was only jokin'! Don't get so embarrassed." *There is no way I'm gonna' tell him that we were fightin' over who knows him better. He would be mortified.*

"How about I take you home or do you want to come over and see Frannie?"

"Your place would be fine, but could we stop and pick Diefenbaker up?."

"Sure. Do you maybe want to stay for dinner?"

"I've already told Francesca that I would eat dinner with her and spend the night."

"Spend the night?"

"Let me rephrase that. Spend the evening with her."

Ray gave him a dirty look. "Uh huh." 

**********

Ray walked into the kitchen and turned around in a circle. "So what do you think? Don't I look sharp?!"

Ray had his tuxedo on and Francesca had to admit that her brother did look good, but she wasn't about to pay him a compliment. "You look like an Italian penguin."

"You are such a bit.."

"Ray!" Fraser cut him off. "I believe that Francesca meant to say that you look very nice." He nudged her lightly in the back.

"Yes..Ray..you..look..very..nice." She spoke it in a robotic tone.

"Very funny. You have such a mouth. Why are you with her Benny?"

Fraser replied to Ray with a deadpan delivery, trying to look innocent. "Because of her mouth Ray."

Francesca turned and hit Fraser. "Hey! That is 'not' funny Benton."

Ray shook his head. "See what you've done to him Frannie. Now he's startin' to sound like you."

Francesca turned back to the journal in front of her on the table. "No he's not Ray. He's still nice to you."

Ray ignored her. "How late do you think this thing will go?"

"It depends. If the conversation is going well and everyone is enjoying theirselves you could find yourself at the consulate until one. If things begin to drag, then Inspector Thatcher will speed things up and you will find yourself home by eleven."

"How does she speed things up?"

Fraser started to laugh which surprised Ray. "I can't describe it. You'll have to watch her in action. It's a pretty impressive thing to see and she is very good at it."

Francesca glanced at Fraser. "She's very good at what?"

"Francesca, please do not start again on that topic."

"What topic is that Benny?"

Francesca frowned. "Hey I won't say a thing, but I bet she's no virgin."

Fraser sighed. "Francesca please."

She looked at Fraser and noticed how tense he was getting. She gave him a small grin. "Okay."

He looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to back down so fast.

Ray noticed the exchange. "If it'll make you happy Frannie I'll ask the Dragon Lady to marry me and we can have a double wedding." As soon as he said it, he began to laugh hysterically. When he calmed down he saw that Fraser and Francesca were smiling at him. "I was jokin'!"

"Ya' know Ray that wouldn't be a bad idea."

"That is sick Frannie! She's a..." He stopped what he was going to say when Fraser shot him a look. "Well I won't say what I think she is. That is the last woman on earth you would ever catch me with."

Francesca smile grew even broader. "Then why are you goin' to eat dinner and dance with her? It sounds like a date to me."

"A date?! No! It's 'not' a date! I'm doin' you and Benny a favor."

Fraser's eyebrows shot up. "A favor? Ray if I had thought you were doing this as only a favor to me, I would have never asked you to do it. I had thought that you had some...feelings for her." Fraser felt Francesca squeeze his thigh under the table. He glanced at her trying not to smile.

"What!? You think I want the Dragon Lady!? What in the hell gave you an idea like that?"

"You have on numerous occasions mentioned to me how you thought that I should date her."

Francesca gave Ray a look that could kill.

"You have commented on how beautiful you think she is. I thought that maybe this would give you a chance to be with her in a social setting. So you could get to know her."

Francesca grinned evilly at Ray. "Yeah, but don't forget. Like Ma told me, 'get to know her, before you get to know her'."

Ray's mouth dropped open and he made a face. "You think I want to...you think I'm gonna'..."

"Have sex with her?"

"God you two are sick! I would never even think about it!"

Francesca looked at Fraser and laughed. She then looked back at Ray. "Oh yeah? Then how come I heard you callin' out the name 'Meg' in your sleep the other night."

"What?!" Ray's face turned a deep red. "I did not!"

"Yes you did Ray. You said and I quote...'Oh God Meg that feels sooooo good. And then you started moanin' really loud. It was disgustin'. If you don't believe me ask Maria."

Ray stared at her dumbfounded. "I did?"

"Yup. Face it Ray. You have the hots for Thatcher."

"I do 'not'! Benny I'm not goin'!"

"Ray you can not do that. I couldn't possibly get ready in time to escort the Inspector. She would post me on double sentry duty for a month if she wasn't at the consulate on time."

"Jesus!" Ray ran a hand over his head. "You're lyin' Frannie I know it!"

Fraser smiled at Ray. "Have a nice evening Ray."

"Yeah thanks alot Benny."

Ray was almost out of the kitchen when Francesca called out to him. "Tell your 'Meg' that I said thank you for lettin' Benton stay home with me!" She shot Fraser a quick smile and shouted loudly at the now empty doorway. "Ray! Do you need any Lucky 13's?!" Her answer was the front door slamming loudly. 

**********

The moment Fraser heard the front door slam shut he burst out laughing. "Francesca that was 'not' nice! How do you think of things like that?"

"I don't know, it's a natural talent I guess. I'll admit that I was bad, but come on, you loved the look on his face when he thought he was dreamin' about doin' Meg."

"Doing Meg? Can't you ever say make love?"

"Nope. We make love, Ray is gonna' boink Meg."

Fraser shook his head and began laughing again. He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you."

She grinned back at him. "I know you do. You love me 'cause I make you happy. Well...most of the time."

She flipped the journal sitting in front of her to another page. "Okay, we'll have the wedding at St. Michael's on Friday at five."

"Five?"

"Yes five."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to have it later. Most of the people who we are inviting will still be at work."

"You don't get it do you? If we make it at five, they'll take half of a day off. It's an excuse to leave work early. Believe me, five is good. Besides I've already told Father Behan it would be at five and he said it was okay with him."

"Oh." Fraser looked at the journal. "Why do we need a limo? We're only going from the church to the hall. We could walk there."

She stared at him and sighed. "Haven't you ever had any fantasies Benton?"

"Yes, I believe that I have taken care of several of them with you."

She poked him in the chest. "One of 'my' fantasies is to have sex in a limo." She grinned at Fraser who gave her a panicky look in return.

"No! We are 'not' going to step out of the church and have sex in a limousine. That is not how I want our first time together as husband and wife."

"Oh come on, loosen up, it'll be fun."

"I'm sure it would be, but it is a rather costly moment of fun and I will have no part of it."

Francesca gave Fraser a dirty look as she scratched the word limo from her journal. "You are so...stuffy"

"Wait until our wedding night and I will show you fun."

Francesca grinned. "Wait right here, I have to go and get somethin'."

He sat at the table looking at the journal while he waited for Francesca to come back. He read something that said hot gel. *What is hot gel?* Before he had a chance to read the rest of the list Francesca came running back into the room holding a book.

"Look what I did." She flipped the book open in front of him and he quickly closed the book and turned it upside down.

"Francesca, you shouldn't bring that down here."

"Oh relax, no ones goin' to bother us." She flipped the book back over and returned it to the page she had marked. It was the 'Joy of Sex' book that Fraser had gotten for his pollyanna gift. Ray had her copy.

Fraser fingered all of the yellow tabbed pages. "What are these for?"

"Those Benton are what I have planned for our wedding night."

His eyes sparkled with amusement. "You've planned our wedding night?"

"Yeah, I figured by the time we get married we will have done it a ton by then so I figured I'd have to have some pretty special stuff for that night."

"A ton? Maybe we shouldn't do anything until we get married if you think you will be so bored with me by then."

"Tell me you're kiddin'."

"No I'm serious."

"Two months is a long time to go without it, especially when I know how good you are at doin' it."

Fraser tucked his head down. "It's not good because of me, it's good because of us."

"Whatever Benton. It's the best sex I've ever had and I'm not about to do without it." Francesca started grinning. "I have an idea. How about we go 'two weeks' without sex. That's enough to drive me up a wall. How about you?"

"I believe that two days would be sufficient."

"Okay two weeks then. Deal?"

"Deal."

They shook hands and smiled at one another. Fraser held a finger up to her. "And do not tell anyone about this. Especially Maria."

"You are so uptight Benton." She smiled at Fraser while she wiggled her eyebrows. "I can't believe that we're goin' to do it. Well not do it."

"Francesca you will just have to occupy yourself with other things."

Francesca stared at him wide eyed. "What!? You mean use a vibrator?"

Fraser blinked once or twice and then turned beet red. "The things that come from your mouth!" He leaned over and kissed her. "No. No nothing. No...vibrator, no hands, no mouth."

"What about kissin' Benton? Is that included?"

"Noooo. I not giving up kissing you, that's too much to ask. We will give up sex only."

Francesca grinned. "But the Monica Lewinsky case said blow jobs aren't sex."

"Let me repeat myself. No hands, no mouth, no sex."

Francesca bounced in her chair excitedly. "I can't wait for our wedding night! We are gonna' have a great time!"

Fraser flipped the pages of the book and started smiling. "I believe that this one should be added to your list, but I will have a few modifications to it."

Francesca looked at the picture. "How in the hell are we gonna' do 'that'?"

Fraser looked at her and laughed. "You said that about the position we tried before and look how much you enjoyed it."

"How about we go upstairs?"

He shut the book and pushed it aside. "No. We both agreed that we would get this done tonight."

"Oh...all right."

He pulled back the journal so that they could both look at it. His eyes fell on the word church. "Francesca may I ask you a question about your first marriage?"

"Uh...yeah. I guess."

"How can we get married in St. Michael's when you have already been married and divorced. Doesn't that go against..."

She waved him off. "Oh that! Ma took care of it right after my divorce from the Pig. She got it annulled. She wrote this really big letter to the Bishop. It only lasted a year and we didn't have any children so it was cut and dry." *Plus the fact that the asshole hit me helped alot.*

Fraser bit his lip and looked at her, trying to gauge her response as he spoke. "What about the precana classes? What if I do not wish to convert?"

Francesca grinned at him which was a surprise. He was prepared to argue with her about certain aspect of the religion that he didn't agree with. "I've already thought about that. We're getting married rather quick so we won't have time to take them. All you have to do is sign a contract in your own blood stating that we'll raise our kids catholic."

"In blood?"

"I'm jokin' Benton."

"Oh." Fingering the page on the journal, he chewed at his lower lip before speaking. "I have one more question. The hall. Is it really necessary? Our wedding is going to be small..."

Francesca stared at Fraser and tapped her pen against the journal. "The hall stays Benton. I want to dance. If you can dance with 'Meg' you can dance with your 'wife'."

Fraser readily agreed knowing that to argue about the hall would only cause more arguments about Thatcher. "The hall is a brilliant idea."

"I thought so."

They continued discussing their plans until she put her pen down and smiled at him.

"Ya' know all of this talk about the wedding is making me think about our honeymoon." She reached under the table and grabbed his crotch causing him to jump. "I'm horny Benton. Let's go upstairs and 'make love'."

Fraser pushed her hand off. "No, you will injure your shoulder further."

Francesca pouted. "So we won't do anything 'different'. I'll lay there and let you do all the work this time." She grinned at him as a slow flush appeared on his face. "You're gettin' better. You're not red this time. You're kinda' pink now."

"That is not funny. Besides we can't. What about..."

"Stop right there! Maria, Tony and the kids went to the movies and won't be back for another hour and a half. Ma is stayin' the night over at Aunt Rosa's and Ray is out tryin' to get it on with Thatcher." She reached back and squeezed him again. "I want to make love Benton. I could...bring the maple syrup upstairs with us."

Fraser started laughing. "No you can not do that. Your shoulder..."

"Oh okay, no syrup."

She massaged him, feeling him grow harder under her caress. Leaning forward she smiled sweetly at him. "You like that don't you? It's not like I'm askin' for anything rough, I just want some nice cuddly sex. I know you can do that, can't you?"

He covered her hand with his own and removed it. Standing he grinned down at her. "Okay." He scooped her up and headed to the stairs.

"Now this is more like it. You're not fightin' me anymore about doin' it here."

"That is because no one is here, you are horny and now...so am I."

"Ya' know, Ray 'is' right. You are startin' to sound more like me." 

**********

Ray sat in the consular car looking at the apartment complex. He knew that at any moment Margaret Thatcher, the Dragon Lady, would soon walk out and get into the same car with him. They would be all alone. "What in the fuck am I gonna' talk to her about? Oh hi Meg, now that Benny's marryin' my sister, how about I have a chance at you?" He cringed. Now he was thinking about it. Frannie said he had, but she was joking. Or was she?

Benny was right. Meg was beautiful and he had told Fraser this several times. And she did have a pretty nice set of...stop it! Then he saw her. "Holy shit will you look at that!" Meg Thatcher approached the car. Ray quickly got out and held the door open for her, watching her legs as she smoothly stepped into the back seat. "Good evening Inspector."

"Good evening Detective Vecchio."

*How in the hell did Benny not walk around with a boner when she's dressed like this? No wonder he was always actin' freaky around her.*

She had on a low cut, but tasteful red dress. It was short, but not like the dresses that his sister Francesca would wear. He only got a glimpse of the dress and the body beneath it through the open coat, but geez..she was hot! 

**********

Setting Francesca down in her bedroom, Fraser turned her away from him.

"What are you doin'?"

"Don't turn around."

"Benton, what are you doin'?" She could hear his movements and the sounds of clothing dropping to the floor. Then his arms snaked their way around her waist. She giggled. "You're naked aren't you?" Her answer was to feel his erection pressing against her from behind as he rested his chin gently on her left shoulder.

"How can you get undressed so fast?"

"Necessity. When it's freezing and you don't want to lose any body parts you learn to get dressed and undressed rather quickly."

"How about you helpin' 'me' get undressed now?"

She moved to turn around and he stopped her. She watched as his hands deftly undid her sling and sweater. Then her jeans, underwear and socks were disposed of. He pressed against her once more.

Light kisses were placed on her neck and shoulders. She felt his body tighten when he touched the bruises on her arm. "Did you talk to Tom today?" When he didn't answer her she turned slowly in his arms to face him. "You didn't...beat him to death did you?" She smiled as she spoke, trying to lighten the mood. The sad look on his face was replaced by a worried one.

"No, I didn't kill him, but I should have."

She reached up and ran her hand over his face, tracing the details. When she touched his lips he kissed her fingers. "I'm sure your talk was enough Benton. Ray has told me some stories about how good a talker you are." She finally got a grin from him.

"Ray said that I'm a good talker? Francesca...he spends half the time telling me to shut up."

"That's because when you do talk you don't stop."

Fraser shook his head in amusement. "I know, but don't tell Ray this. I sometimes do it to annoy him."

Francesca's eyebrows shot up and she gave Fraser an evil grin. "You want to annoy Ray?"

Fraser smiled back at her shrugging his shoulders. "I wouldn't exactly say I am purposely trying to annoy him. Tease would have been a better choice of words."

"You are a bad boy."

Fraser smirked and deepened his voice. "Not yet."

Francesca gave a mental sigh of relief when he began to kiss her. The longer they were together, the easier it was to get him to forget things. She chided herself that using sex as a therapy tool was not the best choice, but when she felt herself being lifted onto the bed and Fraser gently laying on top if her, she decided that it was the best choice for her. 

**********

The ride from the apartment to the consulate was short so the lack of conversation wasn't noticed. As soon as Ray turned and took Thatcher's coat from her he had to swallow. He had always known how nice looking she was, but he had never really paid that much attention to her before. She was such an annoying bitch half the time that he had never really taken any notice of her body. He took a long look now. *Yeah this is definitely the reason why Benny would always get so flustered around her. He got to see this everyday. Hell! He even got to lip lock with her!*

"Detective?"

"Oh. Sorry. What did you say?"

Thatcher sighed. *This is going to be one long evening."

She watched Ray as she talked to him. He was looking at her funny. Vecchio's whole posture and demeanor reminded her of...Fraser? The flustered 'I really like you, but I'm afraid to say it' posture practically screamed itself at her. *You have got to be kidding me. Ray Vecchio likes me? He hates my guts!* Then she started thinking. Had it all been an act? Now that Fraser was marrying his sister would he 'go after' her? She immediately felt herself growing very uncomfortable.

*Ray Vecchio? Puh-lease! He is so uncouth. Look at him!* As she looked at Ray she tried to compare him to Fraser. That brought a smile to her face. There was no comparing the two. Fraser was...he was beautiful. But then she noticed Ray's eyes. Clear eyes. A nice color green. *How come I never noticed that his eyes were green before? His nose is rather big, but his teeth are nice. His hair? What hair!* Then to her dismay she found that she had to resist the urge to reach out and run her hand over his head. Would it be soft like the velour chair in the Queen's Room upstairs? *Stop it Meg! He hates you! End of discussion!* 

**********

Francesca pushed herself back against the bed running her hand softly through Fraser's hair. "Oh yeah...feels so good." It was a whispered murmur as she arched her back slightly, pushing herself against his mouth. *Benton's a good talker all right. He's good at anything oral.* She snickered and Fraser stopped and laid his head against her thigh.

"And what is so funny?"

"Sorry. I was thinkin' about how good you are with oral things. Talkin', tastin'...sex."

"Good. I thought maybe you were thinking about Ray doing this to Meg."

Francesca pushed herself up into a sitting position, looking down at Fraser's smiling face. "That is disgustin' Benton. How can you even think about Ray and Thatcher...doin' this."

Fraser kissed her thigh and ran his thumb along her sex. "We do this." She bit her lip as he continued to stroke her softly. "If we do this, why wouldn't Ray and Meg? They're no different than us."

She stopped his hand with her own. "Yes they are. That's my brother you're talkin' about."

He laughed at her. "And you are his sister." Fraser pushed himself up and crawled his way up Francesca's body, pushing her gently back down on the bed. "And what I am about to do with you...if they decide to date...they will be doing the same thing together." He knelt overtop of her and reached above her head to snatch the Lucky13 from the pillow. Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he rolled the condom on.

She grinned back at him as moved back down and slowly entered her. "But I bet they won't do it half as good as we do." 

**********

They were eating dinner and Thatcher was surprised. No not surprised, stunned. Once the introductions were made and Ray began talking to the Italian dignitaries his whole personality changed. He was charming the socks off of them. She didn't understand what they were talking about, but the laughter and smiling faces told her enough.

She found that he had impeccable manners. It had been the moment that she had dreaded the most the entire time she had been getting ready at home. She had expected Ray to 'chow down' at dinner using his hands and licking his fingers. Vecchio was very different from the man she had thought him to be.

And when he talked to her, she found herself relaxed. There wasn't the stress that she experienced when she would talk with Fraser. Why had she been so stressed with Fraser and not Vecchio? *Because Fraser is your junior officer you dolt. Vecchio isn't R.C.M.P. If you wanted to you could go out to dinner with him, you could dance with him, you could...* Ray Vecchio was attainable, Fraser was not. Duty before everything, even love. She had pushed Fraser away because of duty. But Vecchio? Ray Vecchio? She decided she'd watch him closely the rest of the evening. 

**********

This was what Francesca liked about having sex with Fraser. It sometimes annoyed the hell out her too, but having a partner who would basically do whatever she asked was a nice change. Tilting her head back she let him nibble at her neck as he gently thrust into her. She bit back a moan and he laughed in her ear.

"No one is here to listen to us Francesca. You may be as vocal as you would like."

She laughed back at him. "The same goes for you. If I catch you gritting your teeth I'll slap you."

"Is that a promise? Do I get to choose where you will slap me?"

"You are a perv!"

He had pushed himself deeply into her, then tickled her side.

"Stop!"

He pulled back, then thrust into her again, this time biting at her neck. Without pulling out he stared down at her smiling evilly. "We are going to look very silly when Maria comes home and finds us like this. Are you sure you don't want me to continue?"

She snickered and looked up. "You know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He leaned down to kiss her. "I love you too."

She wrapped her arm around his neck and her legs around his back. Breaking off the kiss he smiled down at her again. "I believe this means you would like me to continue?"

"Oh most definitely." 

**********

Dinner was over and Ray saw a huge tray of desserts being brought out. He leaned towards Thatcher. "Benny said the maple cheesecake was the best."

Thatcher's eyebrows went up. "Constable Fraser likes maple cheesecake? He would never eat dessert at any of the functions he attended with me. Although there was one time...yes I believe it was maple cheesecake. He said it was good?"

"Yeah and if Benny says something is good, it has to be or he wouldn't touch it. For a guy that will eat grubs and worms he's a pretty picky eater."

"Grubs?" This comment came from one of the dignitaries.

*Uh oh. I didn't think I said it that loud.* He gave Thatcher a look, but it didn't seem like she was about to change the subject.

"You're telling me that Constable Fraser ate grubs?"

"It's really a long story. It happened right before you were posted here." Ray noticed everyone at the table was silent and were staring at him. *Now I know how Benny feels at my house.*

"Could we hear this story?" The man looked at Ray who then looked at Thatcher.

"Would you care to tell us about it?"

"Like I said, it's a really long story."

Thatcher smile politely at him. "We have the time."

Ray began telling them all about his and Fraser's trip to northern Canada as everyone selected their desserts. He was in the middle of the part where he was carrying Fraser on his back and they were singing, when he noticed Thatcher. *Oh my God!* He stopped talking and stared at her plate.

"Is something the matter Mr. Vecchio?"

He looked back at her and grinned. "No, I was thinkin' about what Benny said about the cheesecake." He continued with his narration and kept peeking at Thatcher as she ate. *I can 'not' believe this!* Meg Thatcher was intently listening to his story while eating her cheesecake with a fork and a knife. *She's eatin' it just like Ma does!* This was a real lady! 

**********

Francesca snuggled against Fraser, running her fingers over his chest, watching him squirm slightly when she ran a finger over a nipple. With a grin, she pulled away and began tickling him. She would never get tired of hearing the sound of his laughter. In the two years that she had known him, she had never remembered hearing him laugh. If he smiled it was only occasionally and once or twice it had been genuine. He was such a different person when they were together. She stopped tickling him and scooted up to sit on his chest.

"Benton you have the most beautiful smile I have ever seen." She watched as he slowly turned pink.

Biting his lip, he reached a hand up to touch her face. "That's because you have given me a reason to smile."

Laying down on top of him she grinned. "So do you think Ray has Thatcher smilin' yet?"

He looked over at the clock on the dresser and she felt his body stiffen up beneath her. "Benton what's wrong?"

"I believe we need to get up and go downstairs."

"Why?" Her answer was the sound of footsteps running up the stairs. "Shit!" She grabbed for the comforter at the same time as Fraser did, pulling it over them just as her sister Maria flung open the door.

"Frannie you'll never believe...whoa! Uh sorry guys. Didn't know you were busy."

"Maria get out! God, can't we have any privacy?"

"Yeah Frannie, in two months when you're married. Hi Benton!" Maria stared laughing when Fraser didn't answer her. "Don't worry I didn't see anythin', but at the rate you two go at it, I will sooner or later."

"Out!"

"Oh okay! 'Bye Benton!" They could hear the sound of her fading laughter as she ran back down the stairs.

Francesca pulled the comforter back. "That is one thing I will 'not' miss when I move into your house." She started laughing when she looked down at Fraser. "I swear Benton, you are goin' to have a stroke one of these days. You're as red as a lobster."

"That was so embarrassing Francesca."

"She didn't see anythin'. Your virtue is safe." She slid off of him and stepped onto the floor. "Ahem! Could you please get up and help me get dressed."

"Oh. Sorry."

As he stood up Francesca smiled at him. "Can you blame Maria for wantin' to see you? I mean look at you!" She laughed as he yanked the comforter from the bed and covered himself with it.

"Francesca please stop that."

Walking over to him she tried pulling the comforter away. "No!"

"Yes!"

"Francesca stop it! You will injure your shoulder."

"Nope!" She finally pulled the comforter away from him and tossed it on the floor. "I'm not Maria so that means I can look at you all I want."

As she looked his body over, he fidgeted. "Francesca...I...we...please do not look at me like that."

"Like what Benton? Like you're mine?" She pushed his chest trying to make him fall back onto the bed.

He didn't move and his eyes went wide. "No. I'm not going to. Don't even think about it."

"Why not? She already knows we've been doing it."

"That is not the point. If we do not get dressed and go downstairs..."

"We're not going downstairs Benton. We're gettin' married soon. Who cares!"

He sat down on the bed and sighed. "That is not a reason to flaunt our...having sex."

"If we were goin' to flaunt it I'd say let's go downstairs and do it on the sofa right now. It's not like I'm askin' you to bang my brains out so that the entire house hears us."

He smiled slightly at her. "We've already done that."

She grinned back at him. "Yeah, you're right. What would be wrong if we stayed up here and cuddled in bed?"

"There would be nothing wrong with it if Maria hadn't already come up here and found us doing that."

Smirking, Francesca stepped forward and stood between his legs. "Francesca no!"

"If you would learn to keep your legs closed I wouldn't be standing here." She leaned forward and kissed him. She got no response. *Okay 'Mister I don't want to do it', let's see what you think of this.* She kissed him again and reached down and grabbed him. She felt his hand lock around her wrist, but he didn't break apart from the kiss. She jumped in surprise when she felt his hand reaching between her legs. She was the one to break their kiss. "You sure changed your mind fast."

"We'll stay here until eleven, then we will have to go downstairs. I do not want Ray to find us here."

"That sounds good to me." 

**********

Thatcher listened to Vecchio tell his story. She was flabbergasted. Having worked with Fraser for over a year now, she knew more about him through this story than she did by working with him everyday. She found that she basically knew nothing about the man. *And I was going to sleep with him? Hell, I don't even know him!* The dignitaries would stop Ray in the middle of his story and ask him questions about Fraser. She could only stare at him in amazement at some of his answers.

And Vecchio. He wasn't afraid to admit to a room full of strangers that he was scared to death when the plane went down. And when he found that Fraser was blind and had a head injury he had been absolutely terrified. He admitted in front of everyone how out of his element he was. How irritated he had been when a blind Fraser could start a fire in seconds and he couldn't even get one started. *It takes a big man to admit to his weaknesses.* Fraser's suggestion that Vecchio take his place for the evening had been a good one. 

**********

"Francesca." Fraser traced a finger down her nose as he called her name.

She regarded him with sleepy eyes. "What?"

"Time to get up."

She sighed. "Yeah. Get up, get dressed and pretend that we're a couple of virgins gettin' married in two months."

"No. Get up and get dressed so that we may go downstairs and cuddle on the sofa."

She grinned evilly at him. "Should I bring a Lucky 13 with me?"

Fraser shook his head no as he looked down at her. "You are insatiable."

"And you have a big di..."

He covered her mouth with his hand. "Enough. Let's get dressed before Ray comes home."

"You said that he might be out until one."

"Or anywhere in between."

"Or a lot later than that if Meg wants to get plugged."

Fraser made an irritated face at her. "Do you have to be so vulgar Francesca? That was uncalled for."

"Yeah, yeah. Get laid, get some, get plugged. She needs somethin'. Do you think she'll be nicer to you if she gets it on a regular basis?"

Fraser could only stare back at her. "You can be so..."

"Interestin'?"

"No."

"Desirable?"

Fraser finally smiled at her. "You are always desirable."

Francesca smiled happily. "I know, that's why you want me all the time. Because you desire to touch me and be with me constantly and that's how it's supposed to be."

"And that is why I gave you that ring. So no one else could have you."

She snickered. "Like I would ever touch anyone else while you lived here in Chicago."

"You wouldn't have ever gone out with anyone else? What if I had never approached you?"

"Then I'd be doin' the same thing that I have been doin' for the past two years. Tryin' to get you."

He brushed his fingers through her hair. She would have put her life on hold indefinitely, waiting for him to decide. "I am sorry for making you wait so long."

Francesca gave him a hug and sat up. "I know you are. You've apologized to me a couple of times for makin' me think you didn't want me." She held up the ring on her finger. "I think this proves to me that you want me. Plus some of the things you did to me tonight tell me too. Now get your cute little ass out of bed so we can go downstairs and cuddle." 

**********

The evening moved along and Ray checked his watch and was shocked. It was past midnight. Where had the time gone? And what about the dancing? Fraser had said there might be some dancing involved. Initially he was upset that he would have to do anything with Thatcher, let alone dance with her, but now he wished he would have the chance. It would give him a perfectly legitimate excuse to hold her hand and wrap his arm around her slim waist.

He also found himself wanting to do more than just dance with her. Ray wanted to smell her. As sick as it was he wanted to smell Thatcher's hair. Fraser had confided in him recently that Thatcher's scent was intriguing.

"What do you mean? She smells?"

"No Ray. Her scent. We all have a scent that is uniquely our own. She smells like...I can not place it, but it is very nice."

Ray found himself wanting to go up to her, bury his face in her hair and take a big whiff. *God I'm gettin' as bad as Benny. The next thing you know I'll be wantin' to taste her.* Ray flinched as the thought went through his mind. It was something he hadn't done in a while and he found himself thinking about doing it to Thatcher. *Stop it! Now you're startin' to think like Frannie! Geez, you don't even like her! She's the Dragon Lady for Christ sake!* But when Ray looked over at the smiling face of Thatcher as she talked to one of her guests he knew he was fooling himself. He liked her. *Oh God! I like the Dragon Lady!* 

**********

Francesca lay on the sofa, staring at the television. Her shoulder ached and throbbed, but she didn't want to tell Fraser. He would go off on a tangent about how he knew she would get hurt and she wouldn't get anymore sex from him unless she had a note from her doctor saying she was better. Yes, he was just a tad bit over protective when it came to her. His body was tucked against her back, one arm under her head the other draped across her waist. One of his legs rested against her own. It was as if he were trying to cradle her with his own body. Even in sleep he was watching over her.

Looking at his watch, she grinned. Ray and Thatcher must have really hit it off, because he still hadn't come home. It was a little past two in the morning and Ray never stayed out this late unless he was on a stake out. Maybe he would get home at the same time that Fraser would wake up. There would be no way that Ray could yell at them if he came home that late. *Let's see how he feels when I yell at him, for stayin' out all night!*

She pushed back into Fraser and felt him shift behind her. Twisting over a bit, she looked at him. He was out. As she moved a hand to touch him, a sharp pain shot up her arm and into her shoulder. Biting back a yelp, she thanked God that he wasn't awake or she would have been in trouble. There could be no hiding the look of pain on her face and he missed nothing.

Francesca was finally able to edge her hand over, so that her palm lay flat against his chest. With a contented smile, she tucked her head against him and closed her eyes. Hopefully her shoulder would stop aching by the time she woke up again. 

**********

Ray was in the consular car taking Thatcher home. He couldn't believe that he had such a good time with her. He had always thought that she was a stiff, uncaring bitch. *She treats Benny like shit. How come I even like her? Hell, for that matter, why did 'he' ever like her?*

Her voice cut into his musings. "Did you have a pleasant evening Detective?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I was surprised. Benny never said anything about ever havin' a good time at one of these things."

"Constable Fraser doesn't enjoy being in crowds. He would rather be alone."

"Yeah, that's Benny."

As he pulled up in front of her apartment, Ray felt a pang of disappointment. He found that he didn't want the night to end. With a small sigh he got out of the car and opened the door for her.

"How did you and Constable Fraser become friends?"

Ray smiled broadly. "Now that is a 'really' long story."

Thatcher gave him a small grin. "Are any of your stories involving you and the Constable short?"

Ray paused to think and shook his head no. "You know, come to think of it...no. Benny kinda' attracts weird stuff and we always end up gettin' into more trouble than you can shake a stick at." *Good goin'! Now she won't let him help you out anymore.*

"Yes, I'm sure he does make life rather interesting for you. He does the same thing here at the consulate. I'd like you to thank him, for suggesting that you take his place this evening. You made it a success."

"Hey, anytime he doesn't want to do one of these things I'll be more than happy to take his place."

To his delight she grinned at him again. "I'll keep that in mind, but I wouldn't make the suggestion to him. You would have to attend every function with me." Ray shook his head slightly. "It's beyond me how he could not want to be with you." Ray froze. *Oh boy!*

Thatcher looked rather uncomfortable. "I...believe he likes your sister."

"No, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry. What I meant is...you're really nice, you're beautiful, you're smart.." *Stick you foot in further why don't you.* "The evening was...nice." Ray shoved his hands in his pocket and tried not to make a bigger fool of himself.

Thatcher looked back at him and she grinned once more. "So you believe that Constable Fraser doesn't view me as being...smart?"

Ray could tell she was only teasing him. *Imagine this. The Dragon Lady is playin' games with me.* "Yeah, I think he saw you as being really...smart, but he wasn't exactly allowed to tell you that."

"Yes you are correct. I see Constable Fraser as being extremely intelligent, but I'm not allowed to say anything about it to him either." She looked directly into his eyes as she spoke. "You on the other hand, I can say to you that I find your company...intellectually stimulating." A small smile quirked at the corner of her lips and Ray couldn't help it. He started laughing.

"Thank you very much for the compliment. I may not be as 'smart' as Benny, but I can hold my own."

"I'm sure you can. I've had a really nice time talking to you, but I do need to go to bed."

Ray reached over to shake her hand and she pulled him to her, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. He could feel himself starting to blush. *Now I know how Benny feels.*

"Good night Detective."

"Good night to you, Inspector."

Just as she was about to walk away, Ray stopped her. *Just ask her, what can it hurt?* "I know you probably already have plans. I mean, being as smart as you are, but...we're having a big New Years Eve dinner at our house. It starts around nine. If you're not doing anything, would you like to come over and have dinner with me?"

*He's asking me out on a date?*

Ray watched her face for a reaction. *Yeah. Good goin' Bozo. Like she's goin' to come over to your house and eat dinner with you.*

Thatcher stood silent for a few seconds. *Oh yeah! You have big plans alright. You, a bowl of popcorn and Dick Clark are going to count down the New Year together.*

"I think that would be...acceptable. You did say nine o'clock?"

Ray blinked in surprise. *She said yes?!* "Uh, yeah. Nine. Dress casual. Jeans and a sweater would be fine."

"Should I bring any food or drink items?"

"Noooo. Ma always has a huge feast planned. Just bring yourself and your appetite."

She laughed and Ray felt like he was in Heaven. "That sounds fine. I guess I'll see you then."

"Okay...'Bye." *Okay bye? Suave Ray. Way to impress her you idiot!* He watched her until he saw that she was safely inside her apartment. Throwing the keys to the car in the air, he caught them. With a big smile on his face, he headed back to Consulate to pick up the Riv. 

**********

She shifted slightly on the sofa. A sound in the foyer had awaken her. Francesca heard whistling. *Ray had a good time. He only whistles when he's really happy. Did he get some?* Looking down at Fraser, she saw that he was still sound asleep. Pushing heavily against his shoulder, she managed to sit up.

Ray walked into the den and gave her a dirty look. "What in the hell is this? How many times did you do it this time Frannie?" He walked over to the sofa and looked on the coffee table and on the floor.

"Sorry Ray, you won't find any used condoms."

"Thank God."

"They're all upstairs in the trash basket next to the bed."

"You're jokin'."

"Nope."

"What about your arm?"

"What about it? Since when do I need to use my shoulder to have sex? He did all the work." She gestured at Fraser and was rewarded by Ray making a face at her.

She started smiling at Ray. "Speakin' of sex...how did things go at the consulate? Does Thatcher put out?"

"You know you are a real pig Frannie. Why he even tolerates you is beyond me."

"I guess it's because I give him good head."

"Aw come on!"

Francesca started laughing and lay back against Fraser.

"You should feel damn lucky he's not awake. If he heard you say shit like that he'd get pissed."

She ran a hand over his hip, then patted his butt. "No, he wouldn't get pissed. He might get irritated, but he'll never get pissed. Now quit changin' the subject. How did it go tonight?"

Ray visibly brightened. "I know why he doesn't like doin' that stuff, but I had fun. The food was good, dessert was amazin' and best of all, Thatcher was actually nice. She's nothin' at all like she is when she's around Benny."

"Duh, Ray! That's because she wanted to get down his pants, but she was afraid of 'duty and protocol'." Francesca batted her eyelashes at Ray as she spoke.

"Yeah, but like I said before, you're lucky she felt that way or he wouldn't be sleepin' on the sofa."

"Whatever Ray! More importantly, did you and Thatcher hit it off?"

"What?"

*Oops. Bad choice of words.* "Uh, did you have a good time?"

"No. You said 'hit it off'. Like this was a date." Ray looked down at Fraser's sleeping form and grinned. "Maria was right. You sneaky son of a bitch."

Francesca smiled at Ray. "Well, can you blame him for tryin'? How'd it go?"

Ray kept staring at Fraser. "He's good Frannie. When he wants somethin' or wants you to do somethin', he'll get it somehow."

"I know, but he does it in a way that you end up not mindin' that you did it. Benton's like that."

"Don't I know it!"

Ray looked back at her with a satisfied smile. "Guess who's comin' over for New Year's Eve dinner?"

"Get out! Really?"

"Yes, really. He'll be surprised that's for sure. I was surprised I even asked her and she said yes!"

"So does this mean we'll have that double wedding after all?"

"You are so unfunny. No, but it means she'll be here and you two can't be playin' around in front of her."

"I bet I can get Benton to do it while she's here." She patted Fraser's butt again and slid her hand over his crotch, watching him fidget in his sleep. "See. He even responds to me when he's asleep."

"You are sick! I think you had better remember one important fact here. He works with her. She is his boss. How do you think Benny would feel?"

"Oh, I already know how he feels...wonderful."

"God you are disgusting! Can't you take your mind out of the gutter? He doesn't talk that way, why do you?"

She grinned evilly at Ray. "Brother dear, if you knew some of the things he says to me and the things he can do." She shook her head no. "You wouldn't be looking at him the same way."

Ray almost asked her what she meant, but he decided not to. *I don't want to know. I'm better off.*

"He's a perv Ray."

"I don't want to know Frannie!"

"He can do more things with his tongue than most guys can do with their di..."

"Stop it!"

Francesca rubbed Fraser's shoulder absently as she laughed at Ray. "Face it Ray, he's not some virginal choir boy that all of you have pictured in your minds."

"Yeah, I know Frannie. He told me, remember? But it doesn't mean I need the details if that's okay with you."

She gave him a wicked smile. "Maybe when it comes time for you to slip it to Meg, he can give you some pointers."

"I don't even know why I bother talkin' to you!"

Tucking back against Fraser, she rested her head against him. "Because in a sick way, you really do want to know what he does. You can't help being curious Ray. He's nothin' like he is when he's around you or anyone else. I get to really see him Ray. I 'know' Benton Fraser, you know Benny. Thatcher knows Constable Fraser."

"Yeah and the fact that he chose you scares me. It means he's really fucked up, Frannie."

"Oh stop bein' an ass Ray! You're just jealous that he opened up to me and not to you." She smirked. "Now you should go and see if you can get Thatcher to 'open up' to you. Maybe you'll be lucky and she'll have some hidden talents like Benton."

"You are gross!"

"Yeah I'm gross, but the first time she goes down on you, you won't be saying that."

"You are such a bitch!"

"I can get worse Ray."

"I don't want to hear it! I'm goin' to bed. You had better remember to wake him up. He has to be at work in a few hours."

She waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I'll wake him up. Go to bed and play with yourself Ray."

He gave her a look of total disgust and walked out of the den and up to his room. 

**********

Stripping off his tuxedo, he pulled on silk pajamas, then Ray pulled back the covers and slid into bed. Tossing several times, fluffing his pillow - nothing seemed to relax him. He was tense. "Damn it Frannie!" The only thing he could think of was Meg Thatcher 'going down' on him. The thought of her full red lips sucking at his cock was driving him up the wall. And the more he thought about it, the more tense he got. To his dismay, he felt himself slowly getting an erection.

The slight throb grew stronger, when he placed his hand over it. *Damn! I can't believe this! I'm gettin' horny thinkin' about the Dragon Lady. This is 'not' right!* He quickly got out of bed and locked the door. Grabbing the box of tissues off his dresser, he flopped back onto the bed and started giggling. *I can't believe I'm doin' this. I haven't done this crap since I was in high school.*

Laying back against the pillows, he closed his eyes and began thinking of Thatcher touching him. The way her hands would feel as she wrapped them around his dick. The bright red polish on those perfectly manicured nails, as they softly scratched under his balls. Slipping a hand under the waistband of his pajamas, he grabbed his erection and began smoothly pulling and twisting it. Running a thumb over the head, he bit his lip. It wasn't enough.

Getting out of the bed, he pulled his pajamas off and threw them on the floor. In an angry motion he snatched up a bottle of hand lotion off of the dresser and poured a liberal amount in his right hand. Placing his left palm against the wall, he leaned heavily against it as he took his right hand and tightly gripped his straining erection. The lotion made his hand glide smoothly over his skin. "Oh yeah."

Closing his eyes, he tried picturing what Thatcher would look like naked, with her legs spread open before him. Pulling back, he thrust himself repeatedly in his hand. His grip became tighter as his thrusts increased. Choking back a moan as he twisted his hand around himself, a part of him wanted to slow down, to prolong the feeling, but a bigger a part of him wanted to get it over with. He was a grown man jerking off in his bedroom like some high school boy.

His palm against the wall now curled into a fist as his thrusts became more urgent and with a stifled yell, he felt himself cumming in long hot spurts. "Oh God!"

Sagging to his knees, he let go of himself, his cock still throbbed, but he no longer felt the tense pain he had. Opening his eyes he closed them quickly again. "Shit!" He peeked at the wall before him. His cum was slowly beginning to drip down the wall where he had let loose. *How in the hell am I goin' to explain 'this' stain?!* With a shake of his head, he grabbed the tissues from the bed and began cleaning the wall of any evidence of his lust for Meg Thatcher. 

**********

It was New Years Eve and Fraser and Francesca were in the kitchen cutting vegetables. Ray had refused to help them, complaining loudly that he had enough of cutting up carrots. Sitting at the table, he watched them as they would touch one another. Their low voices would occasionally break into laughter. A quick kiss would be given. What use to make him sick, was now making him feel jealous. He was jealous of what they shared.

Watching his sister run a hand teasingly down Fraser's back, she then pinched his ass, laughing when he jumped.

"Stop it!" Fraser's voice was louder, but he said it without anger. The laughter in his voice, the affection he showed her by the slight nudge against her arm, Ray couldn't stand it any longer. He got up and left the room.

Turning slightly, Fraser watched Ray leave. "Francesca, what is wrong with Ray?"

"Nothin's wrong with him, I think he's a little nervous about tonight."

He smiled at her. "He should be. Inspector Thatcher will take some time to be persuaded to...get involved."

"Oh I don't know about that. She doesn't work with 'him'. I bet he slips it to her in less than a month."

"Slips it to her?"

"Benton...sex...put it in, the big Italian salami."

His face turned a slight pink and he turned away from her laughter. "You are so vulgar, Francesca."

She looped her arm through his and ran a hand over his chest. "Admit it. You like it when I talk dirty. What if I asked you to throw me on the table over there and eat me out? What would you say to that?"

He shook his head and smiled seductively at her. "I would not 'throw ' you on the table. I would place you there."

"And?"

"And I would..." He started laughing again.

"What's wrong now?"

"Eat you out, slip it in. The expressions for sexual contact are very amusing."

"Yeah they sound funny, but they sure feel good."

Letting her hand stray down to his crotch, she pressed against him and grinned. "Is there any chance we could do it one more time before the year is over?"

"We can't. Everyone will be here tonight. Plus Inspector Thatcher..."

"Oh please. Just once. Let's do it now, before she gets here."

He looked up at the clock and she followed his gaze. "We have twenty minutes. That's plenty of time. We'll be done before she even gets here."

Francesca watched as Fraser hesitated, biting at his lower lip. "I knew you wouldn't say no. Come on!" Grabbing his hand she giggled and pulled him out of the kitchen. He started laughing softly as they crept up the stairs. "Be quiet Benton." Pulling him into her bedroom, she shut the door and locked it. Turning, she gave him a wide grin. "Now, about the term 'slipping it in'. We'll start with that." 

**********

Ray walked through the foyer and heard a light knock at the door. Looking at his watch, he was surprised. Thatcher was early. It was only a quarter until nine. He checked his sweater for lint and walked over to open the door. There stood Meg Thatcher in a soft, fuzzy red sweater and a pair of old faded blue jeans. He decided to act relaxed. *No charmin' her, she'll see right through you.* Looking at her nails, he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "Hi." He stood staring at her.

She finally spoke. "May I come in?"

"Oh. Sorry. Sure, come on in."

"Um, sorry I'm early, but I had to stop at...well that's not important." She seemed to fidget. "I don't mean to sound...well...could I use your bathroom?"

Ray came out of his revere with a start. "Yeah. Sure. I'll show you where it is."

Ray led her up the stairs and down the hall. As he went past Francesca's room, he noticed that the door was closed. *Oh please God no!* As soon as he and Thatcher walked by, a low moan could be heard coming from the room, followed by soft laughter. *Oh please, I am begging you God, no!*

Thatcher stopped and looked at Ray. "What was that?"

"Nothin'. Here's the bathroom." There was another moan, only it was louder. She gave Ray a strange look, then they heard them.

"Francesca no!"

"Oh come on! I promise you, I won't bite you this time."

"No!"

There was the sound of someone hitting the door and then their mingled laughter.

Ray sighed and looked down at his feet. Thatcher quickly entered the bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Ray walked back to Francesca's bedroom door. "Benny! Frannie! Knock it off! Thatcher's here!"

He heard Francesca's muffled voice. "If you don't finish this, you won't get any until our wedding!"

To his surprise Fraser yelled at him through the closed door. "Entertain her Ray we're busy!"

He stared at the door in shock. Fraser just blew him off to have sex with Francesca. While his boss was in the house and he was standing right outside the door. *She's totally ruined him!* "Damn it! Knock it off the both of you!" His only answer was the sound of the bed gently squeaking and muffled giggles. Ray rested his head against the wall. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Deserve what Detective?"

Ray spun around to see Thatcher standing behind him. "Uh...nothin'...let's go downstairs."

They both froze when they heard Francesca yell out. "Oh yes Benton! Right there...ooohhhhh..." Then a strangled feminine moan erupted behind the closed door.

Thatcher's eyes went wide and Ray grabbed her by the elbow, pulled her away from the door and down the stairs to the foyer. Thatcher continued staring up the stairs in amazement.

"Was that...were they?"

Ray looked down at his feet and ran a hand over his head. "Yes it was...and yes they were."

To his surprise, instead of being mortified, she burst out laughing. "Constable Fraser?"

Ray looked up at her with an embarrassed grin. "Yeah. When Frannie wants somethin', she's not goin' to wait. Benny has a problem with saying no."

Thatcher smiled. "Yes, I know."

Ray's mouth dropped open and she immediately knew that he took it the wrong way. "Nonononono! I never...we never...well we did kiss, but...Constable Fraser and I have never...you know...had...sexual contact. It would go against all R.C.M.P. regulations. I am after all his superior officer. It would not have looked good for us to be involved in that type of relationship."

Ray's relief was evident. "Oh. I mean, it really isn't any of my business, but Benny had told Frannie that you and he had never...you know. Frannie had thought that you two did and she was a little peeved at him."

Thatcher appeared flustered. "Your sister thought that he and I had...?"

"Oh yeah."

"Oh."

They both stood looking at their shoes. Ray finally spoke. "Would you care for some coffee, Inspector?"

"Since I am here in an unofficial capacity, I would prefer that you call me, Meg."

Ray held out his hand. "Nice to meet you Meg. My name is Ray."

They shook hands warmly.

"Meg, would you care for a cup of coffee?"

"I would be delighted, Ray." 

**********

As they walked into the kitchen to get their coffee, Maria and Mrs. Vecchio turned around to look at them. Thatcher felt like she had been placed under a microscope. The two women were sizing her up so to speak. *I wonder if Fraser had to go through this?*

"Ma, Maria, this is Meg Thatcher." Maria gave her a cool look and Ray waved behind Thatcher's back at her, mouthing 'back off'.

Maria immediately plastered a fake smile on her face and held her hand out to her. "Hello Meg. So we finally get to meet Benton's 'boss'."

Thatcher took her hand, noticing the cool demeanor behind Maria's smile. "Pleased to meet you."

Mrs. Vecchio stepped in between them, shocking Thatcher by enveloping her in a big hug. "Welcome to our home."

Ray leaned in to her and whispered. "Don't worry, you'll get use to it, Benny did." *Nice goin' Ray. You'll get use to it? You're already actin' like she's goin' to be your girlfriend.*

As always, Mrs. Vecchio took it upon herself to smooth things over. She nudged Maria as she spoke. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yeah Ma, that's why we came in here."

"Good. Would you care for some cookies? Francesca made quite a few at Christmas and we still have some left."

"Thank you, but no, coffee will be fine."

"Ah, then you are like Benton? You do not like to eat sweets all that often?"

"No, I like desserts, but Ray told me what a good cook you are. I would prefer to save room for some real food first."

Mrs. Vecchio smiled brightly at her. "Then you will eat. My Benton doesn't eat very much."

Thatcher looked at her slightly confused. Whenever she saw Fraser eat, he ate like a horse as far as she was concerned. She had always wondered why he wasn't fat. Well she knew why, what with all the running around town with Vecchio kept him trim. She started to get a little nervous. How much was she expected to eat here without insulting anyone?

Mrs. Vecchio poured coffee for all of them and sat Ray and Thatcher at the table and she and Maria went back to preparing the meal.

Thatcher felt awkward just sitting there and even though she knew they would refuse her help, she had to ask out if politeness. Being a diplomatic taught her that. "Could I help you?"

"No, you are a guest. Sit with Raymondo."

Thatcher glanced over at Ray and smiled. *Raymondo? Cute.* Her thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Vecchio.

"My Benton speaks very highly of you. He has said that you are an excellent officer."

Ray could see Thatcher's obvious discomfort. She treated Fraser harshly at times, but he never once bad mouthed her, and if anyone else said anything negative about her, he would jump to her defense. Typically Fraser.

"Uh, yes. Constable Fraser is the best officer I have ever worked with."

Maria's slight snort didn't go unnoticed. Maria looked around. "Where 'are' Benton and Frannie? Have either one of you seen them lately?"

Ray muttered under his breath. "No, but we sure heard them."

When Thatcher burst out laughing Ray turned his head away. He didn't think he said it that loud. *Damn Canadian hearing!*

Maria started smiling brightly as she looked at Thatcher's face. "Oh okay, I think I know where they are."

Mrs. Vecchio chose to ignore them all and kept on making dinner. Maria smiled again, but it had an evil quality to it. "Dinner is almost ready. Ray, why don't you go and get Tony and the children." She smiled sweetly at Thatcher. "And Meg, since you know where Benton and Frannie are...could you interrupt them and let them know dinner is ready."

Thatcher felt her face growing hot and Ray jumped up, grabbed her hand and began pulling her out of the kitchen. When they reached the foyer, she yanked her hand from his. "I am 'not' going up there and...interrupting them!"

Ray shook his head. "I'm not goin' to do it either. Just ignore Maria, she's teasin' you."

"I do not find it amusing."

"I'm sorry. She thinks that you still have the hots for Benny."

"Still?"

Ray closed his eyes and swallowed hard. When he opened them he saw Thatcher staring at him angrily. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right."

"I'll admit that I have in the past...had feelings for Constable Fraser, but they have been resolved. Nothing could have ever happened and nothing ever did."

"I know and I'm sorry, but Maria is pretty protective of Frannie...and Benny."

Thatcher crossed her arms and shot a look at the kitchen entrance. "I can tell."

"Look, we'll get Tony and the kids. Those two will come down when they're done...you know."

Thatcher looked up at the stairs and laughed. "I still can't believe he would have the ...to do that, while people are here."

Ray grinned back at her. "You'd be surprised at what he does. Frannie has him wrapped around her little finger."

Just as they were about to go into the den they heard Francesca and Fraser's voices at the top of the stairs. "Oh come on Benton! You're not on duty. What can she do to you? Make you stand outside and guard the house because we had sex?"

"That is not funny Francesca. I believe that Ray is right, I do have a problem saying no to you. I will have to stop...doing this."

"What? Stop having sex with me? Right! You can't even go a few days anymore without it. Face it Benton, you're addicted to me."

They heard Fraser laughing and Ray and Thatcher looked at each other grinning.

"That is not the point. I am not going to do anything with you here again. It seems that every time we do, someone hears us."

"Well...if you weren't so good, I would be yellin' out now would I?"

They heard Fraser laugh again. "No...stop it Francesca. Let go!"

"Nope. What are you goin' to do about it?" Francesca's screaming laughter could be heard through out the house. "No! Stop! Let me go!"

"Let you go? Give me a reason why I should Francesca."

She giggled. "If you don't let me go I won't wear that negligee. I said I still have it. If you don't let me go, I'll throw it away."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna' bet."

"I never bet."

"Let me go or I'll tell Thatcher what you like me to do to you."

"No! That is not even funny! You will not tell her anything."

Thatcher looked at Ray and whispered. "She would tell me what she does to him?"

"Oh yeah. If he doesn't let her go, you'll hear it all. She'll do it and he knows it."

Thatcher looked up at the stairs with interest. What did they do together?

Fraser's voice had a panicked quality about it. "You will not tell Inspector Thatcher a thing about us. If you do...I will tell Ma what you and Maria were planning on doing and she would not be pleased."

"What do you mean? What Maria and I were goin' to do?"

Ray looked over at Thatcher and she looked at him. "Me?" Ray shrugged his shoulders.

"You know very well what you were planning and you will not do it. And neither will Maria."

Francesca's tone was snappy. "And pray tell, what would that be?"

"You and Maria were planning on doing what Tony and Ray did to me when I first began dating you."

"We were not!"

"Yes you were. Lying does not suit you Francesca. I heard you both discussing it the other day."

"You know...you are too sneaky for your own good. Why don't you try not listenin' in on people."

"That is not the point."

Ray and Thatcher smiled. They knew Fraser listened to everything and everyone. People just didn't notice him and yakked away around him. Fraser heard and remembered it all.

"Yeah...well this is different! You were my boyfriend, Thatcher is not Ray's girlfriend."

Thatcher's eyes grew wide at Fraser's comment.

"If you and Maria do what you are planning, we shall never know, shall we? You will not do it!"

"You still want her don't you? You're always protectin' her." Francesca sounded hurt and angry.

"We have discussed this over and over. I have told you before and I had thought that you agreed we would not discuss this again."

"Yeah, like I'm supposed to forget you wanted to fuck her brains out!"

Ray watched Thatcher's mouth drop open and she turned red.

"Francesca, I did not want to 'fuck her brains out' as you have just said."

"You said you wanted to do it with her. That's the same thing."

"Francesca...I can see that you are never going to let this go. What can I do? I have done everything that I can possibly do or say to persuade you that I do not want to be with her." Fraser's voice sounded exasperated and rather sad. "What can I do Francesca? Isn't this enough? Have I not given myself to you? What do you want?"

They heard silence. Thatcher went to move, but Ray put his hand on her arm holding her in place. She gave him a questioning look and he held a finger up, telling her to wait.

"I don't know Benton. It's just...she's so pretty...and smart. She's someone. Who am I. I mean look at me? How can I compare myself to her? When I look at her...all I can think of is how you'll get tired of me. All I do is cart coffee and push a few papers around. She's somebody."

"Francesca."

They didn't hear anything for a few minutes. Ray strained to hear...and he heard Francesca softly crying. He looked over at Thatcher. She looked guilty. *Why is she feeling guilty? She hasn't done anything. Has she?*

Then Fraser's started talking softly to Francesca. Ray wanted to creep up the stairs and listen to them. *Damn, I'm as bad as Frannie now.*

"Francesca, I love you. You are beautiful and there is no one else alive who can compare to you. You have a big heart and contrary to what Ray says all the time, you are not stupid."

Thatcher glared at Ray at this comment.

"I believe that Ray owes you fifty dollars does he not?"

They could hear Francesca voice again. It was muffled but happy. "I forgot about that. He does owe me fifty dollars. I got an A thanks to you."

"No, you did all of the work, I helped you study."

"Yeah...and you asked me out to the opera, so I guess in a way I should be thankin' Thatcher then. I mean she did give you the tickets. In a way, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be together."

Ray grabbed Thatcher by the arm and pulled her quickly into the den. "Geez! I can't believe I'm eavesdroppin' like that."

Thatcher looked at Ray with an arched eyebrow. "So you call your sister, stupid?"

"Uh, well...you know...she's my sister."

"That doesn't give you a reason to say something of that nature to her."

"God, you sound just like Benny."

"I do not!"

"Oh yes you do!"

Tony looked over at them. "Hey! Is dinner ready? I'm hungry."

"Oh yeah Tony. Maria said for you and the kids to come to the table."

"It's about time." As Tony walked by them he grinned. "Hi, I'm Tony, Maria's husband. You thinkin' about goin' out with Ray here?"

Ray stared back at Tony, mortified. Thatcher gave him a smile. "I don't know yet Tony. I have to see if he can come up to Mountie standards."

Tony laughed and left the room.

Ray gave her a curious look. "Mountie standards?"

"Yes."

"And what are they?"

Thatcher grinned and walked away from Ray as she spoke. "Ask Constable Fraser." 

**********

Maria's three children were still sitting on the floor and they were all staring up at Ray. "What are you lookin' at? Get up, it's dinner time."

Tereasa, the oldest nudged Tony, Jr. as she got up. Tony in turn nudged Angelo. As Tereasa walked by Ray she smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Get out!"

She giggled as she ran from the room. Tony, Jr. smirked at Ray. "Not bad Uncle Ray. She's pretty."

Ray could feel a slight flush of heat on his face. "Out! Go!"

Tony ran out of the room. Angelo slowly walked up to Ray, looking very somber.

"What do you have to say Angelo?"

"Mommy said she's a bitch an' treats Uncle Benny like shit." He said it with a totally innocent face.

*Damn it Maria, you have a big mouth!*

"Uh, Mommy doesn't know Meg very well. You know, Uncle Benny really likes Meg. *That'll make him like her.*

Angelo shook his head yes. "Mommy said Uncle Benny wanted to fuck her." Angelo tilted his head to the side. "Uncle Ray, what does that mean?"

At this point Ray was beyond mortified. *Jesus!* "Uh...your Mommy's not bein' very nice Angelo. You should never say stuff like that. That word that begins with an F...it's a bad word. You shouldn't be sayin' stuff like that. Your Mommy shouldn't be sayin' stuff like that either. I'm goin' to have a talk with your Mommy about what she says about Uncle Benny and my friend Meg."

Angelo's eyes had begun tearing up. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was bad."

"That's Okay, just don't say it again. And Angelo, Meg is a nice lady and Uncle Benny likes her the way he likes you." Ray swatted Angelo lightly on the butt. "Let's go eat dinner."

Angelo ran out of the den, leaving Ray alone in the room. *Geez, this is gonna' be one hell of a night.* 

**********

As he walked out into the hallway, he looked up the stairs and saw Fraser and Francesca locked in a passionate embrace. "Haven't you two done enough of that already!?"

They broke apart startled. Fraser gave him a guilty look and Francesca yelled at him. "Damn it Ray, I told you to stop doin' that!"

"Yeah and I told you two to stop pawin' each other every second of the day. Dinner's ready, but after seein' that, I don't know if I can eat now."

"Oh shut up Ray!"

Francesca grabbed Fraser's hand and pulled him down the stairs and past Ray. "You're a rabbit, Benny."

Fraser started laughing, but he quickly stopped when he entered the dinning room and saw Thatcher sitting at the table. She looked up at Fraser and started laughing as he tucked his head down in embarrassment. Ray shoved him forward, toward his seat.

Francesca glared at Ray as she pushed Fraser on the shoulder. "Knock it off Benton. We didn't do anything illegal."

Fraser smiled, keeping his head down, looking at his plate. "In some countries it's illegal to..."

Francesca reached under the table and grabbed his thigh. "Benton, enough."

"Understood."

Ray took his seat next to Thatcher. "Sorry about all of this Meg."

"Oh don't be sorry, this is proving to be a very interesting evening."

Ray smiled at her. *I just got done thinking that.*

Thatcher sat observing everyone. Between the noise and the comments, it was hard to keep track of anything. And the amount of food they consumed! With the exception of Tony, Sr. and Mrs. Vecchio, the entire family was thin. She noticed with a twinge of jealousy, how lithe Francesca was. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was thin and in shape, but Francesca was reed thin. No fat was visible on the woman, but looking at the amount of food Francesca was consuming, she wondered how she stayed that way.

As they all stuffed themselves, Thatcher tried to eat, but it was too much. Looking over at Fraser's plate, she noticed it was loaded with vegetables, but not much else and he picked at it. With a small smile, she knew he had them fooled. She followed his lead. Keep your plate full, but don't eat fast. No one gets insulted and you don't get fat. *Very smart Fraser.* Ray on the other hand, was packing the pasta away like he was a starving man.

She looked at his profile. He wasn't the most attractive man that she had ever seen. With a quick glance across the table she peeked at Fraser. He was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on, but as she looked back at Vecchio, she kept thinking about how charming he was at the consulate the other evening. What he lacked in looks, he more than made up for it in personality. She hadn't realized that she was staring at him, until he stopped in mid-forkful and grinned at her. She quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed. *Nice. Get caught staring at him.*

She turned her attention elsewhere. Looking over at Maria, she saw the woman smiling thinly at her. *That's the one I have to watch.* Turning her attention back to Fraser she watched how relaxed he was. He leaned over and whispered something to Francesca and then he kissed her cheek. Francesca smiled back at him, reaching under the table. Fraser shook his head and Thatcher saw him reach a hand under the table as well. They sat smiling at each other.

Turning away from them, she found Maria glaring at her now. *Hum. Time for a little diplomacy with this one.* She smiled pleasantly over at Maria, whose glare faltered and was replaced by a confused look. She then leaned over and whispered to Ray. "Your sister thinks that I'm going to steal Fraser away from Frannie. Has she ever bothered to watch them, to know it would be impossible?"

Ray whispered back to her. "Like I said...Maria's a little over protective."

Ray looked up and noticed that Fraser was watching them with a big grin on his face. Ray realized that he and Thatcher were sitting rather closely, with their faces only inches apart. Fraser nudged Francesca and she looked over at Ray. She in turn whispered to Fraser, who turned red and started laughing.

"Care to let me in on the joke Benny?"

"No Ray. It wasn't a joke, just a private observation."

"Why don't I believe you?"

Fraser refused to answer him.

Ray looked down and saw Thatcher's plate and he tried to suppress a grin, but he wasn't very successful.

"May I inquire as to what is so funny?" Thatcher was questioning Ray.

"It's nothing. Frannie is being nasty as usual."

On Thatcher's plate there was a long carrot and two small tomatoes that made a very suggestive shape.

"That's not an answer."

"Geez, you sound just like him. Is this a Canadian thing?"

"A what?"

"Never mind. Frannie is corruptin' him." Ray pointed a finger at Fraser, who raised an eyebrow at Ray.

"No I'm not! I'm tryin' to make his life fun."

"Face it, you've ruined him, Frannie."

Tereasa tapped Ray on the shoulder. "What honey?"

She looked warily over at her mother. "I know I'm not allowed to join in the adult conversations but...Uncle Benny is a lot happier now that he's gonna' marry Aunt Frannie. He's not sad any more."

Francesca smiled at Ray. "See. Even the kids notice it."

Tereasa looked over at Thatcher. "Are you gonna' make Uncle Ray happy like Aunt Frannie made Uncle Benny happy?"

Francesca sniggered and Ray shot her a dirty look. "Uh...Tereasa, you really shouldn't ask..."

Ray felt Thatcher's hand on his arm. "I think she deserves an answer." She leaned forward and looked at Tereasa. "I think it will all depend on how nice your Uncle Ray is to me. And if your Mommy and Aunt Frannie like me." She looked pointedly at Francesca and Maria, and they gave her guilty looks.

"Oh. Are you gonna' be nice to her, Uncle Ray?"

*Why does this stuff keep happenin' to me?* He looked at Thatcher and to his surprise, she had a slight smile on her face and she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Yeah, I'll be nice to her."

"Good. Then maybe you and Miss Thatcher can get married and have a bunch of kids like Aunt Frannie and Uncle Benny are gonna' have."

Ray heard Francesca snort.

Thatcher felt a little flustered. The children were very forward with their questions. "Um, Tereasa, I have to get to know your Uncle Ray first."

Both Ray and Thatcher jerked around to look at Fraser and Francesca who were now in hysterics.

"Okay, spit it out Benny!"

Fraser waved Ray off, shaking his head while he continued laughing. "Excuse us, please." He got up and left the room, dragging Francesca with him.

Ray stared after them. "You know, they are too weird. Excuse me for a minute."

Thatcher stood with him. "I'll go with you."

"Uh..."

"No uhs. I'd like to see what is so amusing to Fraser."

Ray already knew he couldn't argue with Thatcher. *Damn! She's worse than Ma!* 

**********

Ray and Thatcher walked into the kitchen where they found Fraser and Francesca standing next to the back door talking softly. They both looked up at them as they entered the room and broke out into giggles.

"Oh enough already! What's so funny?"

Francesca wiped a hand across her eyes. "I'm so sorry Ray. We didn't mean to...well...I'm sorry." She giggled again.

"You're sorry about what?"

"About your plate and the comment you made." She gestured at Thatcher as she spoke.

Thatcher's brow knitted in concentration as she thought about her plate. A look of shock appeared on her face and to Francesca's surprise she smiled slightly. "I believe that your brother is right. You 'have' ruined Fraser. As for the comment, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You wouldn't and I really can't tell you. It's kinda' personal."

"No way Frannie. You both looked at us and started laughin'. Cough it up."

Francesca looked at Fraser, who turned away from her and looked out the back door. "You're no help at all, Benton."

Fraser snickered and shook his head no. "I'm not going to tell them. You do it."

Francesca looked at the slightly miffed faces of Ray and Thatcher. *Oh well. Might as well piss them off while I'm at it.* "Ray, do you remember the little chat you and I had the other night, while Benton was asleep?"

"Yeah."

"What Ma said to me about gettin' to know Benton."

"Aw geez, Frannie! You are sick! We're not even..."

"Excuse me." Ray felt Thatcher tapping his shoulder. "I would like to know what it is."

Francesca grabbed Fraser's hand and pulled him to her, smiling at Ray the entire time. She grinned evilly. "Do you want me to tell her Ray?"

Ray gave her a panicked look. "No! It's not the same thing and you know it."

Thatcher interrupted him again. "I would like to decide this for myself Ray."

"You know you're both dead, don't you?" Ray turned to Thatcher. "Uh...it means...my Ma told Frannie when she first started goin' out with Benny, that she should get to know him." Ray stopped talking, hoping she would just except that.

Crossing her arms she looked patiently at Ray. "And?"

*Damn it! Are they all this smart? It has to be the water up there.* Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Ma told Frannie to get to know Benny, before she got to 'know' him. You said at the table that you had to get to know me first. That's why these two are laughing. They're sick!" Ray looked at them angrily.

Thatcher looked at Fraser, who as always, was embarrassed. Why wasn't she surprised? Francesca was laughing at Ray. Nothing ever seemed to phase her. Ray...he looked absolutely miserable. *So his family loves to tease?* With a slight smile, she looked directly at Ray. "You're mother is obviously a very intelligent woman."

Ray's mouth dropped open. *What? She not mad?*

"But I am surprised at you Fraser. Your actions are definitely unbecoming those of an officer in the R.C.M.P."

Fraser looked down at his feet. "Yes Sir."

Francesca face immediately darkened. "Excuse me?!" She crossed her arms and glared at Thatcher. "Is he wearin' his uniform? No. Are we at the consulate? No. Don't you dare come over here and tell him, he's not allowed to be human! We found it funny, so sue us, but don't come marchin' in here and expect him to shut up or act like he does when he's at work. You 'don't' own him. He's 'not' yours!"

Fraser gently touched her arm. "Francesca, please, that is enough."

"No it's not!" She stepped up to Thatcher so they were only a few inches apart. "You know, you're goin' to be one lonely woman if you don't learn to loosen up. Are 'you' wearin' your uniform? You need to stop bein' so stiff and enjoy life. You're almost as bad as he was!" She gestured wildly over at Fraser who was now looking very uncomfortable.

"Do you know what it's like to be able to see him happy? I didn't even know he could laugh or that he had a sense of humor until a few months ago. Maybe if you weren't so up tight, you could be happy too! You are such a stick in the mud."

"Francesca!" Fraser took her hand. "That is enough." He looked over at Thatcher, his voice wooden as he spoke to her. "I apologize for my actions. I didn't mean to appear so unprofessional. I will refrain from further comments of that nature while in your presence. Excuse us."

"Benton..."

"No more." Fraser gave Francesca a hard look and she quickly closed her mouth. The two of them walked out of the kitchen leaving Ray and Thatcher alone. 

**********

"On that note, I believe I should be going."

Ray panicked. "No! You can't go."

"Why? I think I've caused enough turmoil this evening."

*Shit!* "Um...if you go now it's like you...threw in the towel. Frannie will never forget it."

"And what would that mean to me?"

"You wouldn't exactly be able to come back here...sorta."

"And why would I want to come back here? It's obvious that I'm not going to be welcomed back."

*Just say it Ray.* "I want you to come back here."

Thatcher repressed a smile. "And why exactly would you want me to come back?"

"Aw, come on, you know why."

"No I don't. I'm like Fraser in that sense. You have to tell me why or I'll never get it."

*She's teasin' me! Thank you God!* "Okay, I want you to come back because..." Ray jammed his hands in his pockets, feeling like an idiot.

"Because why?" Now Thatcher had a small grin on her face.

Ray shook his head and laughed. "Because I...like you and I would like to see you." He cringed. "Geez, I sound like a dork."

"No, you sound like a nice guy who's trying to ask the school bitch out, but you're afraid she'll slap you in the face."

Ray looked at Thatcher in surprise. "You think I'm a nice guy? You don't hate my guts?"

She stepped up to Ray and smiled at him. "No, I think you're a very nice gentleman, who has a slight problem expressing what you want. If I thought you were a...dork, I wouldn't have come over here tonight." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, resting her hand on his chest.

Ray could feel his heart pounding where her hand rested. The Dragon Lady was being nice to 'him'! She kissed him!

"Wouldn't we technically be able to call this our second date? The first being at the consulate."

Ray licked his lips nervously as Thatcher smiled at him. "Uh...do you...kiss on the second date?" He waited for her to draw back her hand and slap him. Instead she slid her hand around his neck and pulled him down to her in a lingering kiss. When she pulled away, Ray grinned back at her. "Not bad. For a Canadian. How about we try one American style?" Ray wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He was rather pleased with himself, when he felt her arms go around his waist, but he was a little shocked, when he felt her tongue against his mouth. He wasn't about to question it, so he opened his mouth to take her tongue in.

She felt so warm and soft. He jumped when she ran a hand lightly over his ass. When he pulled away from her, she was grinning at him. "Not bad. For an American. But have you ever had a Toronto style kiss?"

"Huh?"

By the time Thatcher was done kissing him, Ray found himself getting aroused. Apparently, she felt it as well. "I see you more than 'liked' the Toronto kiss."

Ray knew he was blushing slightly in embarrassment. *I'm getting as bad as Benny.* "I'm sorry."

Thatcher pushed against his arm, shaking her head at him. "Oh no you don't! I've heard enough, 'I'm sorrys' from Fraser this past year. I don't want to be hear you saying that again."

Ray smiled brightly at Thatcher, feeling the embarrassment slowly seeping away. She wasn't going to be as difficult to get to know as Fraser had said she would be. Being Fraser's boss had been the problem with Thatcher. That was why things were so hard for those two, but it looked like he was going to have an easier time of it than Fraser. "I guess we should be gettin' back to dinner. They're gonna' wonder what's keepin' us."

"Okay, but one more kiss. Think of this as...an appetizer." 

**********

Francesca sat next to Fraser, picking at the food on her plate. She kept looking at Fraser. He hadn't said a word since they had come back and sat down. "Benton?"

He sighed. "Yes, Francesca?"

"I know I shouldn't have gone off like that, but she was out of line. I'm not goin' to have you lock yourself away when she's around. She's just goin' to have to learn that you are two people. You're Constable Fraser at work and you're Benton here."

"I know, but now she'll never come back here. How will Ray ever get a chance to go out with her if we have this problem?"

Francesca sighed and threw her napkin down. "I'll be back. I'm gonna' go and apologize to her."

Fraser looked back at Francesca in surprise. "You would do that?"

"We went to a lot of trouble to get those two to this point. I'm not going to let it all go to waste." She walked out of the dinning room and toward the kitchen entrance, where she jumped back into the foyer. Stifling a laugh she ran back to the dinning room. Flopping down in her chair she leaned into Fraser, whispering in his ear. "They're in the kitchen playing tonsil hockey!"

Fraser's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yeah. They're so close, if they didn't have any clothes on, they'd be doin' it!"

They both looked up as Ray and Thatcher walked casually back into the dinning room together. Francesca tried her best to not laugh. "I was wonderin' when you guys were comin' back. Meg, could you pass me the potatoes please?" She smiled at Thatcher who looked back at her confused, but her confusion didn't last long.

"Ray."

"Yeah Frannie?"

Francesca pointed at the side of her mouth.

"Huh?"

"Lipstick Ray."

Both Ray and Thatcher turned red. Fraser sat staring at Ray with a slight smile on his face.

"And what are you lookin' at Benny?"

"Nothing Ray. For a moment I thought you looked something like a rabbit." He snickered and looked over at Francesca when she nudged him in the ribs.

"Oh you're really funny. How would you like me to explain that one to Meg?"

Fraser's face turned pink and he looked back at Ray, narrowing his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wanna' bet?"

Francesca leaned against Fraser and whispered to him, while she looked over at Ray. Fraser smiled. "No you won't."

Ray looked at Francesca who waved at him from across the table. "What did she tell you?"

Fraser kept smiling at him. "If you tell Inspector Thatcher, I'll have to tell her, what Francesca told me."

Ray shot Francesca a dirty look. "You are ignorant Frannie. That's not fair. I don't even know what you told him."

"Go ahead and tell Meg what you know and you'll find out."

Ray tapped his fingers on the table, then he smiled. "Whatever you have on me, I can tell her what I 'saw'."

Francesca sat up straighter in her chair. "You wouldn't do that!"

"Try me." Ray watched as Fraser leaned back over and whispered to Francesca. She smiled sweetly. "Okay, go ahead and tell her. I'm sure Ma and everyone else are just dyin' to know what you have to say."

"You suck Frannie."

Her sweet smile turned decidedly evil. "Yes 'I' do."

Thatcher's eyes went wide and she looked over at Fraser who turned beet red at Francesca's reply. Thatcher knew exactly what Francesca was insinuating with that comment. This was getting a little out of hand. She noticed that the rest of the family was basically ignoring the entire exchange. *This has got to stop.* She reached under the table and placed her hand on the inside of Ray's thigh. "I think we should call this a draw. What do you think?" She looked directly at Ray, who looked at her nervously.

"But Frannie..." She slid her hand further up. She was only an inch from touching his package. Ray hurried out his reply. "Uh, yeah. It's a draw."

She slowly removed her hand from his thigh and smiled over at Fraser and Francesca. "Draw?"

Fraser was staring intently at her, with a slight smile on his lips. "Yes, I would say it's a draw. We wouldn't want thing to go any further...at the dinner table."

Thatcher felt her face growing hot. *Damn him! How does he see everything?* 

**********

Dinner continued and a more normal conversation ensued.

"Francesca, I was thinking about this last night. Well, actually Diefenbaker brought it up." Francesca grinned down at Diefenbaker who had chosen that moment to place his head in her lap. "Is he going to be allowed to go with us to Florida? Is there a restriction on having animals in the place that we are staying?"

She turned to Ray, as she absently ran her fingers through Dief's fur. "I don't know. We've never brought a pet with us before." Dief whined at her. "Oh stop it! Face it Dief, you're a pet now." She grabbed the fur on either side of his neck. "And Mommy loves you so." She made little cooing noises at Dief, then she laughed as he licked her face.

"You are so sickening Frannie."

"Oh shut up Ray. Dief, I think you need to bite him."

To Ray's surprise Diefenbaker bared his fangs at him. "Hey! What about all of those donuts I've given you!"

His ears perked up and he let out a sharp bark. Fraser sighed in annoyance. "That is enough Diefenbaker." He gave reproving looks at Ray and Francesca. "You are both spoiling him. You with donuts." He looked at Ray. Then he turned to Francesca. "And you with ice cream."

"I do not!"

"Francesca, you give Diefenbaker ice cream all the time."

"How do you know?" Her reply was sarcastic.

"I can smell it on him."

"Oh you're just jealous because I don't give 'you' ice cream all the time. I don't want you getting soft." She reached over and patted Fraser's trim stomach, watching him look down at his waist.

"I'm getting soft?"

"Yup." *As soft as a rock.* She wanted to laugh at the look on his face. He believed her.

Mrs. Vecchio chose that moment to walk in with some of the desserts. She set a bowl of chocolate ice cream with the little chocolate chunks in it, in front of Fraser. He pushed it away. "No thank you, Ma. Francesca said that I am getting soft." He looked pointedly at Francesca.

"I was only jokin' Benton."

"Thank you kindly, but no."

"Oh come on! Eat it." She pushed the bowl back to him.

"No. You are correct. I have spent too many nights sitting on the sofa with you. I am getting soft." He picked the bowel up and walked out of the dining room. He was back in less than a minute. He sat back down without the ice cream.

"What did you do with the ice cream Benton."

"I put it back."

Francesca grit her teeth. "You are 'so' stubborn."

"No, I am...soft."

Francesca rolled her eyes. "You are about as soft as this table." She poked him hard in the ribs. "If you lose any more weight, you're gonna' start lookin' sick."

"I have not lost weight." Fraser eyed Francesca's body. "And you are one to talk." He poked her gently in the stomach, drawing a smile from her. He then placed his hand across her stomach, smiling back at her. "You see how my hand almost covers your midsection?"

"That's only because you have such big hands." They stared at each other, with teasing smiles.

Ray looked at Thatcher, who was gawking at the pair. "They're like this all the time." He looked back over at Fraser and Francesca. "They are gross!"

They both looked sharply at Ray. Fraser cocked his head to the side as he talked. "We will see how you view us in another month."

"What is that supposed to mean? You'll be less gross after you're married?"

"No. Maybe you will see things from our point of view."

"What? Oh." Ray peeked at Thatcher to see her reaction.

"Fraser?" Thatcher looked over at him, as she played with a spoon in her hands.

"Benton."

"What?"

"We are not on duty. I would prefer that you would call me Ben or Benton. Either one will do."

"Ben...what are you insinuating?"

"Nothing, Sir."

"Meg."

"Nothing...Meg. I am pointing out to Ray, that if he looks at things from our point of view, he would not continue calling us gross." Fraser looked back at Ray. "We have gotten away from my question."

*That's right Benny. Change the subject.*

"Can Diefenbaker come with us to Florida?"

"I don't know Benny. I'll have to call the realtor and ask her. If Dief can't come with us, what will you do with him?"

"We have already discussed this. He said that he would stay with Turnbull."

"Turnbull?! You would trust him with Diefenbaker?"

Fraser looked at Ray with a confused expression. "If he has chosen Turnbull, then why would I protest his choice?"

Ray looked at Diefenbaker. "Are you sure Dief?"

Dief gave a short bark, then he whined as he tucked his muzzle under Francesca's arm. "Yes, he is sure Ray, but he would rather go with us. He has never been to Florida." 

**********

After dessert was finished, Fraser volunteered himself and Francesca for clean up duty. Francesca complained loudly as she rinsed off the last plate. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Why did you have to volunteer us? Why couldn't Ma and Maria do this? Or better yet, Ray and 'Meg'."

Fraser walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her small waist, placing gentle kisses on the back of her neck. "Because Ma and Maria prepared the meal and Meg is Ray's guest. She's not family...yet." He laughed lightly as he bit her neck and Francesca leaned back against him. He whispered into her ear. "And if we didn't clean up, we wouldn't be doing this." As he continued kissing her neck, Fraser slid his hands underneath Francesca's sweater, cupping her breasts in his hands.

"You are a tease Benton Fraser. You know we can't do anything again. Ray will freak."

His answer was to turn her around to face him. Staring into her eyes, he undid her jeans. Leaning forward he kissed her and pushed her back against the counter, as he slid a hand into her underwear. She broke apart from their kiss, laughing into his neck. "What if Meg walked in here and saw us?"

He jerked his hand away from her, turning to look at the kitchen entrance.

"Benton!"

Francesca grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him back to her. "Why are you so afraid of Thatcher?"

"I'm not afraid of her. It's..well it's bad enough that she heard us, I don't want her to see us."

Francesca zippered her pants up and smiled at Fraser. "Then keep your hands out of my clothes. I swear to God, Benton, how you went all that time without sex is beyond me. You have got to be the horniest man I have ever been with."

Fraser smiled and backed Francesca up against the counter again. "That is because I love you so much."

She ran a hand lightly over his chest. "And how much do you love me?"

He leaned down and kissed her passionately, pressing his body up against hers. She moaned lightly as they sucked at each others tongues. Trailing his hands along her back, he pulled her tightly to him.

Ray walked into the kitchen and made a face of disgust. Taking a deep breath he yelled at the top of his lungs at them. "You freakin' rabbit!" Ray laughed hysterically, when Fraser jumped back away from Francesca.

"Damn it Ray!" She held her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath.

Ray continued laughing until he noticed that Fraser was staring at him, with a decidedly evil smile on his lips. "Uh...Benny. What do you think you're gonna' do?"

Fraser was walking slowly toward Ray.

*Oh shit!* He turned and ran out of the kitchen, heading for the den. He could hear Fraser coming up behind him. "No!" Just as he entered the den, Fraser grabbed Ray by the waist and picked him up. "No Benny! Put me down!"

Everyone in the room jerked around in their seats, only to see Fraser carrying Ray out of sight. Thatcher jumped up and ran into the foyer and stood next to a grinning Francesca, watching in amazement as Fraser carried Ray to the front door.

"Benny! No!" Ray started laughing as he struggled against Fraser's iron hold. Reaching out with one hand, Fraser jerked the front door open and carried Ray out to the edge of the porch, where he dropped him into a deep snowdrift. Fraser ran back into the house and shut the door, locking it.

Francesca raised an eyebrow at him. "You know, he's gonna' be pissed at you, Benton."

Fraser started laughing, then he stopped when he saw Thatcher staring at him. As soon as Ray began pounding on the door, screaming for Fraser to let him in, his smile returned.

"Damn it Benny let me in! It's freezin' out here!"

Fraser laughed harder. "No! I am 'not' a rabbit and you need to quit sneaking up on Francesca and I. It is impolite."

"Let me in!"

"No!"

The door shook as Ray pounded on it.

"Say you are sorry and I will open the door."

There was only silence for a reply. Fraser stood still for a second, then he suddenly sprinted past Francesca and Thatcher, into the kitchen. He reached the back door and locked it. Seconds later, Ray started jiggling the door knob and pounding at the door. "Damn it, open the door!"

Fraser looked through the glass and waved at Ray. "No. Apologize first."

Ray shook his head and grinned. Thatcher and Francesca were standing by the table in the kitchen watching the whole exchange.

"Okay Benny, I'm sorry. Now can I please come in?"

Fraser unlocked the door and Ray shoved it open, knocking Fraser back. He tackled him, trying to pin Fraser down, only to find himself flipped over and on his back.

Fraser sat on Ray's chest and held his hands on the floor, above his head. Ray struggled to get up, but he found he couldn't move. "I thought Frannie said you're losin' weight. You weigh a ton!"

He smiled down at Ray. "Say you are sorry to Francesca as well."

Ray looked behind him and saw upside down versions of his sister and Thatcher. "Oh...hi Meg. I'm sorry Frannie."

"That's okay Ray. You can let him up now Benton."

Fraser stood up and offered his hand to Ray, helping him to his feet. Fraser gave Thatcher a sheepish look when he saw that she was staring at him, with her mouth open. She quickly shut it, trying not to laugh. Before she could say anything, Ray grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the den. He sat down on the sofa and pulled her down so that she sat next to him. Ray laughed as Fraser and Francesca walked into the den. Ray whispered to Thatcher. "This is 'their' spot."

Fraser looked down at Ray. He then turned and sat down in Ray's recliner, pulling Francesca down in his lap.

"Hey! Wait a minute! That's my chair!"

Francesca leaned back against Fraser with a smile. "That's okay Ray. We're comfortable here. You can stay in our spot."

Thatcher stared at them all. This was totally different than she had imagined Ray and Fraser to act together at home. They were more like brothers, than best friends. And Fraser! He wasn't anything like he was at the consulate. When she looked around the room, she figured out why. This was 'his' family. She felt a small twinge of jealousy. She realized that she was alone. In a room full of people, she was totally alone.

Looking at Fraser again, she wondered if that was what life was like for him, before he became part of the Vecchio family. As she watched Fraser and Francesca settle against each other in Ray's recliner, she knew they were content with their lives together. She glanced at Ray sitting next to her, happily channel surfing, as he slouched down on the sofa. If a relationship with Ray Vecchio was this interesting after only one night, she was certain she wouldn't be bored any time soon.

**********


	2. Chapters 26 to 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters in the story. I'll edit them at a later date. This is how it was originally published years ago on Red Suits You.

Ray and Thatcher walked into the kitchen where they found Fraser and Francesca standing next to the back door talking softly. They both looked up at them as they entered the room and broke out into giggles. "Oh enough already! What's so funny?"

Francesca wiped a hand across her eyes. "I'm so sorry Ray. We didn't mean to...well...I'm sorry." She giggled again.

"You're sorry about what?"

"About your plate and the comment you made." She gestured at Thatcher as she spoke.

Thatcher's brow knit in concentration as she thought about her plate. A look of shock appeared on her face and to Francesca's surprise she smiled slightly. "I believe that your brother is right. You 'have' ruined Fraser. As for the comment, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You wouldn't and I really can't tell you. It's kinda' personal."

"No way Frannie. You both looked at us and started laughin'. Cough it up."

Francesca looked at Fraser, who turned away from her and looked out the back door. "You're no help at all, Benton."

Fraser snickered and shook his head. "I'm not going to tell them. You do it."

Francesca looked at the slightly miffed faces of Ray and Thatcher. *Oh well. Might as well piss them off while I'm at it.* "Ray, do you remember the little chat you and I had the other night, while Benton was asleep?"

"Yeah."

"What Ma said to me about gettin' to know Benton."

"Aw geez Frannie! You are sick! We're not even..."

"Excuse me." Ray felt Thatcher tapping his shoulder. "I would like to know what it is."

Francesca grabbed Fraser's hand and pulled him to her, smiling at Ray the entire time. She grinned evilly. "Do you want me to tell her Ray?"

Ray gave her a panicked look. "No! It's not the same thing and you know it."

Thatcher interrupted him again. "I would like to decide this for myself, Ray."

"You know you're both dead, don't you?" Ray turned to Thatcher. "Uh...it means...my Ma told Frannie when she first started goin' out with Benny. That she should get to know him." Ray stopped talking, hoping she would just except that.

Crossing her arms she looked patiently at Ray. "And?"

*Damn it! Are they all this smart? It has to be the water up there.* Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Ma told Frannie to get to know Benny, before she got to 'know' him. You said at the table that you had to get to know me first. That's why these two are laughin'. They're sick!" Ray looked at them angrily.

Thatcher looked at Fraser, who as always, was embarrassed. Why wasn't she surprised? Francesca was laughing at Ray. Nothing ever seemed to phase her. Ray...he looked absolutely miserable. *So his family loves to tease?* With a slight smile, she looked directly at Ray. "You're mother is obviously a very intelligent woman."

Ray's mouth dropped open. *What? She not mad?*

"But I am surprised at you Fraser. Your actions are definitely unbecoming those of an officer in the R.C.M.P."

Fraser looked down at his feet. "Yes Sir."

Francesca face immediately darkened. "Excuse me?!" She crossed her arms and glared at Thatcher. "Is he wearin' his uniform? No. Are we at the consulate? No. Don't you dare come over here and tell him, he's not allowed to be human! We found it funny, so sue us, but don't come marchin' in here and expect him to shut up or act like he does when he's at work. You 'don't' own him. He's 'not' yours!"

"Francesca, please, that is enough." Fraser gently touched her arm.

"No it's not!" She stepped up to Thatcher so they were only a few inches apart. "You know, you're goin' to be one lonely woman if you don't learn to loosen up. Are 'you' wearin' your uniform? You need to stop being so stiff and enjoy life. You're almost as bad as he was!" She gestured wildly over at Fraser who was now looking very uncomfortable. "Do you know what it's like to be able to see him happy? I didn't even know he could laugh or that he had a sense of humor until a few months ago. Maybe if you weren't so up tight, you could be happy too! You are such a stick in the mud."

"Francesca!" Fraser took her hand. "That is enough." He looked over at Thatcher, his voice wooden as he spoke to her. "I apologize for my actions. I didn't mean to appear so unprofessional. I will refrain from further comments of that nature while in your presence. Excuse us."

"Benton..."

"No more." Fraser gave Francesca a hard look and she quickly closed her mouth. The two of them walked out of the kitchen leaving Ray and Thatcher alone. 

**********

"On that note, I believe I should be going."

Ray panicked. "No! You can't go."

"Why? I think I've caused enough turmoil this evening."

*Shit!* "Um...if you go now it's like you...threw in the towel. Frannie will never forget it."

"And what would that mean to me?"

"You wouldn't exactly be able to come back here...sorta."

"And why would I want to come back here? It's obvious that I'm not going to be welcomed back."

*Just say it Ray.* "I want you to come back here."

Thatcher repressed a smile. "And why exactly would you want me to come back?"

"Aw, come on, you know why."

"No I don't. I'm like Fraser in that sense. You have to tell me why or I'll never get it."

*She's teasin' me! Thank you God!* "Okay, I want you to come back because..." Ray jammed his hands in his pockets, feeling like an idiot.

"Because why?" Now Thatcher had a small grin on her face.

Ray shook his head and laughed. "Because I...like you and I would like to see you." He cringed. "Geez, I sound like a dork."

"No, you sound like a nice guy who's trying to ask the school bitch out, but you're afraid she'll slap you in the face."

Ray looked at Thatcher in surprise. "You think I'm a nice guy? You don't hate my guts?"

She stepped up to Ray and smiled at him. "No, I think you're a very nice gentleman, who has a slight problem expressing what you want. If I thought you were a...dork, I wouldn't have come over here tonight." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, resting her hand on his chest.

Ray could feel his heart pounding where her hand rested. The Dragon Lady was being nice to 'him'! She kissed him!

"Wouldn't we technically be able to call this our second date? The first being at the consulate."

Ray licked his lips nervously as Thatcher smiled at him. "Uh...do you...kiss on the second date?" He waited for her to draw back her hand and slap him. Instead she slid her hand around his neck and pulled him down to her in a lingering kiss. When she pulled away, Ray grinned back at her. "Not bad. For a Canadian. How about we try one American style?" Ray wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He was rather pleased with himself, when he felt her arms go around his waist, but he was a little shocked, when he felt her tongue against his mouth. He wasn't about to question it, so he opened his mouth to take her tongue in. She felt so warm and soft. He jumped when she ran a hand lightly over his ass. When he pulled away from her, she was grinning at him.

"Not bad. For an American. But have you ever had a Toronto style kiss?"

"Huh?"

By the time Thatcher was done kissing him, Ray found himself getting aroused. Apparently, she felt it as well. "I see you more than 'liked' the Toronto kiss."

Ray knew he was blushing slightly in embarrassment. *I'm getting as bad as Benny.* "I'm sorry."

Thatcher pushed against his arm, shaking her head at him. "Oh no you don't! I've heard enough, 'I'm sorrys' from Fraser this past year. I don't want to be hear you saying that again."

Ray smiled brightly at Thatcher, feeling the embarrassment slowly seeping away. She wasn't going to be as difficult to get to know as Fraser had said she would be. Being Fraser's boss had been the problem with Thatcher. That was why things were so hard for those two, but it looked like he was going to have an easier time of it than Fraser. "I guess we should be getting back to dinner. They're gonna' wonder what's keepin' us."

"Okay, but one more kiss. Think of this as...an appetizer." 

**********

Francesca sat next to Fraser, picking at the food on her plate. She kept looking at Fraser. He hadn't said a word since they had come back and sat down. "Benton?"

He sighed. "Yes, Francesca?"

"I know I shouldn't have gone off like that, but she was out of line. I'm not gonna' have you lock yourself away when she's around. She's just goin' to have to learn that you are two people. You're Constable Fraser at work and you're Benton here."

"I know. But now she'll never come back here. How will Ray ever get a chance to go out with her if we have this problem?"

Francesca sighed and threw her napkin down. "I'll be back. I'm gonna' go and apologize to her."

Fraser looked back at Francesca in surprise. "You would do that?"

"Yeah. We went to alot of trouble to get those two to this point. I'm not letin' it all go to waste." She walked out of the dinning room and to the kitchen entrance, where she jumped back into the foyer. Stifling a laugh she ran back to the dinning room. Flopping down in her chair she leaned into Fraser, whispering in his ear. "They're in the kitchen playing tonsil hockey!"

Fraser's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yeah. They're so close, if they didn't have any clothes on, they'd be doin' it!" They both looked up as Ray and Thatcher walked casually back into the dinning room together. Francesca tried her best to not laugh. "I was wonderin' when you guys were comin' back. Meg, could you pass me the potatoes please?" She smiled at Thatcher who looked back at her confused, but her confusion didn't last long. "Ray."

"Yeah Frannie?" Francesca pointed at the side of her mouth.

"Huh?"

"Lipstick Ray."

Both Ray and Thatcher turned red. Fraser sat staring at Ray.

"And what are you lookin' at Benny?"

"Nothing Ray. For a moment I thought you looked something like a rabbit." He snickered and looked over at Francesca when she nudged him in the ribs.

"Oh, you're really funny. How would you like me to explain that one to Meg?"

Fraser's face turned pink and he looked back at Ray, narrowing his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"You wanna' bet?"

Francesca leaned against Fraser and whispered to him, while she looked over at Ray. Fraser smiled. "No you won't."

Ray looked at Francesca who waved at him from across the table. "What did she tell you?"

Fraser kept smiling at him. "If you tell Inspector Thatcher, I'll have to tell her, what Francesca told me."

Ray shot Francesca a dirty look. "You are ignorant Frannie. That's not fair. I don't even know what you told him."

"Go ahead and tell Meg what you know and you'll find out."

Ray tapped his fingers on the table, then he smiled. "What ever you have on me, I can tell her what I 'saw'."

Francesca sat up straighter in her chair. "You wouldn't do that!"

"Try me." Ray watched as Fraser leaned back over and whispered to Francesca.

She smiled sweetly. "Okay, go ahead and tell her. I'm sure Ma and everyone else are just dyin' to know what you have to say."

"You suck Frannie."

Her sweet smile turned decidedly evil. "Yes 'I' do."

Thatcher's eyes went wide and she looked over at Fraser who turned beet red at Francesca's reply. Thatcher knew exactly what Francesca was insinuating with that comment. This was getting a little out of hand. She noticed that the rest of the family was basically ignoring the entire exchange. *This has got to stop.* She reached under the table and placed her hand on the inside of Ray's thigh. "I think we should call this a draw. What do you think?"

She looked directly at Ray, who looked at her nervously. "But Frannie..."

She slid her hand further up. She was only an inch from touching his package. Ray hurried out his reply. "Uh, yeah. It's a draw."

She slowly removed her hand from his thigh and smiled over at Fraser and Francesca. "Draw?"

Fraser was staring intently at her, with a slight smile on his lips. "Yes, I would say it's a draw. We wouldn't want thing to go any further...at the dinner table."

Thatcher felt her face growing hot. *Damn him! How does he see everything?* 

**********

Dinner continued and a more normal conversation ensued.

"Francesca, I was thinking about this last night. Well, actually Diefenbaker brought it up." Francesca grinned down at Diefenbaker who had chosen that moment to place his head in her lap. "Is he going to be allowed to go with us to Florida? Is there a restriction on having animals in the place that we are staying?"

She turned to Ray, as she absently ran her fingers through Dief's fur. "I don't know. We've never brought a pet with us before." Dief whined at her. "Oh stop it! Face it Dief. You're a pet now." She grabbed the fur on either side of his neck. "And Mommy loves you so." She made little cooing noises at Dief and then she laughed as he licked her face.

"You are so sickening Frannie." "Oh shut up Ray. Dief, I think you need to bite him." To Ray's surprise Diefenbaker bared his fangs at him. "Hey! What about all of those donuts I've given you!" His ears perked up and he let out a sharp bark. Fraser sighed in annoyance. "That is enough Diefenbaker." He gave reproving looks at Ray and Francesca.

"You are both spoiling him. You with donuts." He looked at Ray. Then he turned to Francesca. "And you with ice cream." "I do not!" "Francesca, you give Diefenbaker chocolate ice cream all the time." "Yeah. How do you know?" Her reply was sarcastic. "I can smell it on him." "Oh, you're just jealous because I don't give 'you' ice cream all the time. I don't want you getting soft." She reached over and patted Fraser's trim stomach, watching him look down at his waist. "I'm getting soft?" "Yup." *As soft as a rock.* She wanted to laugh at the look on his face. He believed her.

Mrs. Vecchio chose that moment to walk in with some of the desserts. She set a bowl of chocolate ice cream with the little chocolate chunks in it, in front of Fraser. He pushed it away. "No thank you, Ma. Francesca said that I am getting soft." He looked pointedly at Francesca.

"I was only joking Benton." "Thank you kindly, but no." "Oh come on! Eat it." She pushed the bowl back towards him. "No. You are correct. I have spent too many nights sitting on the sofa with you. I am getting soft."

He picked the bowel up and walked out of the dining room. He was back in less than a minute. He sat back down without the ice cream. "What did you do with the ice cream Benton." "I put it back." Francesca gritted her teeth. "You are 'so' stubborn." "No, I am...soft." Francesca rolled her eyes. "You are about as soft as this table." She poked him hard in the ribs. "If you lose any more weight, you're gonna' start looking sick."

"I have not lost weight." Fraser eyed Francesca's body. "And you are one to talk." He poked her gently in the stomach, drawing a smile from her. He then placed his hand across her stomach, smiling back at her. "You see how my hand almost covers your midsection?" "That's only because you have such big hands." They stared at each other, with teasing smiles.

Ray looked at Thatcher, who was gawking at the pair. "They're like this all the time." He looked back over at Fraser and Francesca. "They are gross!" They both looked sharply at Ray. Fraser cocked his head to the side as he talked. "We will see how you view us in another month." "What is that supposed to mean? You'll be less gross after you're married?" "No. Maybe you will see things from our point of view." "What? Oh." Ray peeked at Thatcher to see her reaction.

"Fraser?" Thatcher looked over at him, as she played with a spoon in her hands. "Benton." "What?" "We are not on duty. I would prefer that you would call me Ben or Benton. Either one will do." "Ben...what are you insinuating?" "Nothing, Sir." "Meg." "Nothing...Meg. I am pointing out to Ray, that if he looks at things from our point of view, he would not continue calling us gross." Fraser looked back at Ray. "We have gotten away from my question." *That's right Benny. Change the subject.* "Can Diefenbaker come with us to Florida?"

"I don't know Benny. I'll have to call the Realtor and ask her. If Dief can't come with us, what will you do with him?" "We have already discussed this. He said that he would stay with Turnbull." "Turnbull?! You would trust him with Diefenbaker?" Fraser looked at Ray with a confused expression. "If he has chosen Turnbull, then why would I protest his choice?" Ray looked at Diefenbaker. "Are you sure Dief?" Dief gave a short bark and then he whined as he tucked his muzzle under Francesca's arm. "Yes, he is sure Ray. But he would rather go with us. He has never been to Florida." 

 

After dessert was finished, Fraser volunteered himself and Francesca for clean up duty. Francesca complained loudly as she rinsed off the last plate. "Why did you have to volunteer us? Why couldn't Ma and Maria do this? Or better yet, Ray and 'Meg'." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Fraser walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her small waist, placing gentle kisses on the back of her neck.

"Because Ma and Maria prepared the meal. Meg is Ray's guest. She is not family...yet." He laughed lightly as he bit her neck and Francesca leaned back against him. He whispered into her ear. "And if we didn't clean up, we wouldn't be doing this." As he continued kissing her neck, Fraser slid his hands underneath Francesca's sweater, cupping her breasts in his hands.

"You are a tease Benton Fraser. You know we can't do anything again. Ray will freak." His answer was to turn her around to face him. Staring into her eyes, he undid her jeans. Leaning forward he kissed her and pushed her back against the counter, as he slid a hand into her underwear. She broke apart from their kiss, laughing into his neck. "What if Meg walked in here and saw us?"

He jerked his hand away from her, turning to look at the kitchen entrance. "Benton!" Francesca grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him back to her. "Why are you so afraid of Thatcher?" "I'm not afraid of her. It's..well it's bad enough that she heard us. I don't want her to see us." Francesca zippered her pants up and smiled at Fraser. "Then keep your hands out of my clothes. I swear to God, Benton. How you went all that time without sex is beyond me. You have got to be the horniest man I have ever been with."

Fraser smiled and backed Francesca up against the counter again. "That is because I love you so much." She ran a hand lightly over his chest. "And how much do you love me?" He leaned down and kissed her passionately, pressing his body up against hers. She moaned lightly as they sucked at each others tongues. Trailing his hands along her back, he pulled her tightly to him.

Ray walked into the kitchen and made a face of disgust. Taking a deep breath he yelled at the top of his lungs at them. "You freaking rabbit!" Ray laughed hysterically, when Fraser jumped back away from Francesca. "Damn it Ray!" She held her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. Ray continued laughing until he noticed that Fraser was staring at him, with a decidedly evil smile on his lips.

"Uh...Benny. What do you think you're gonna' do?" Fraser was walking slowly towards Ray. *Oh shit!* He turned and ran out of the kitchen, heading for the den. He could hear Fraser coming up behind him. "No!" Just as he entered the den, Fraser grabbed Ray by the waist and picked him up. "No Benny! Put me down!" Everyone in the room jerked around in their seats, only to see Fraser carrying Ray out of sight. Thatcher jumped up and ran into the foyer and stood next to a grinning Francesca, watching in amazement as Fraser carried Ray towards the front door.

"Benny! No!" Ray started laughing as he struggled against Fraser's iron hold. Reaching out with one hand, Fraser jerked the front door open and carried Ray out to the edge of the porch, where he dropped him into a deep snowdrift. Fraser ran back into the house and shut the door, locking it. Francesca raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, he's gonna' be pissed at you, Benton." Fraser started laughing and then he stopped when he saw Thatcher staring at him. As soon as Ray began pounding on the door, screaming for Fraser to let him in, his smile returned. "Damn it Benny! Let me in! It's freezing out here!" Fraser laughed harder. "No! I am 'not' a rabbit and you need to quit sneaking up on Francesca and I. It is impolite." "Let me in!" "No!"

The door shook as Ray pounded on it. "Say you are sorry and I will open the door." There was only silence for a reply. Fraser stood still for a second and then he suddenly sprinted past Francesca and Thatcher, into the kitchen. He reached the back door and locked it. Seconds later, Ray started jiggling the door knob and pounding at the door. "Damn it! Open the door!"

Fraser looked through the glass and waved at Ray. "No. Apologize first." Ray shook his head and grinned. Thatcher and Francesca were standing by the table in the kitchen watching the whole exchange. "O.K. Benny. I'm sorry. Now can I please come in?" Fraser unlocked the door and Ray shoved it open, knocking Fraser back. He tackled him, trying to pin Fraser down, only to find himself flipped over and on his back.

Fraser sat on Ray's chest and held his hands on the floor, above his head. Ray struggled to get up, but he found he couldn't move. "I thought Frannie said you're losing weight. You weigh a ton!" He smiled down at Ray. "Say you are sorry to Francesca as well." Ray looked behind him and saw upside down versions of his sister and Thatcher. "Oh. Hi Meg. I'm sorry Frannie." "That's O.K. Ray. You can let him up now Benton."

Fraser stood up and offered his hand to Ray, helping him to his feet. Fraser gave Thatcher a sheepish look when he saw that she was staring at him, with her mouth open. She quickly shut it, trying not to laugh. Before she could say anything, Ray grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the den. He sat down on the sofa and pulled her down, so that she sit next to him. Ray laughed as Fraser and Francesca walked into the den.

Ray whispered to Thatcher. "This is 'their' spot." Fraser looked down at Ray. He then turned and sat down in Ray's recliner, pulling Francesca down in his lap. "Hey! Wait a minute! That's my chair!" Francesca leaned back against Fraser with a smile. "That's O.K. Ray. We're comfortable here. You can stay in our spot."

Thatcher stared at them all. This was totally different than she had imagined Ray and Fraser to act together at home. They were more like brothers, than best friends. And Fraser! He wasn't anything like he was at the consulate. When she looked around the room, she figured out why. This was 'his' family. She felt a small twinge of jealousy. She realized that she was alone. In a room full of people, she was totally alone.

Looking at Fraser again, she wondered if that was what life was like for him, before he became part of the Vecchio family. As she watched Fraser and Francesca settle against each other in Ray's recliner, she knew they were content with their lives together. She glanced at Ray sitting next to her, happily channel surfing, as he slouched down on the sofa. If a relationship with Ray Vecchio was this interesting after only one night, she was certain she wouldn't be bored any time soon. 

 

Thatcher and Ray sat talking about arrest tactics for the next forty-five minutes. Not exactly the most romantic evening, but she was rather pleased to see that he shared similar interests. He was in mid sentence on the subject of hand cuffs verses arm locks when he looked at his watch.

"Holy crap!" "What?" "Its' a quarter to twelve." Standing, Ray looked over at his mother. "Ma, we've got to get the stuff out for the toast. How come no one paid attention to the time?" Ray turned to speak to Francesca and Fraser. "Aw geez, do they ever stop?" Thatcher looked in confusion at what Ray was getting so upset over. All she saw were Fraser and Francesca, intertwined on the recliner, fast asleep. The worst that could be seen was Francesca had her hand under Fraser's shirt.

Thatcher looked back over at Ray who was making a disgusted face. "What's wrong?" "Look at them." "I did. They look rather comfortable." "Huh?" Thatcher regarded them again. "They seem rather happy to me. Isn't that the reason why they're getting married?" Ray looked as if someone had thrown a light switch on. He walked over and looked down at them.

"Damn. You're right." Thatcher smiled. "I know. I usually am." "Geez, I almost feel bad waking them up." "Then don't. Let them sleep." Ray shook his head, smiling as he spoke. "No way. Frannie would kill me. This is their first New Year's Eve together. If she missed it, she would be pissed."

He reached down and gently pushed on Francesca's back. She woke up and looked at Ray and Thatcher. "Why are you guys staring at us?" She quickly looked down at Fraser's body, sighing in relief. *That's all I would need. Thank God he doesn't have a woody.* "Ray?" "It's almost twelve." Francesca perked up immediately.

"Benton! Get up!" Thatcher watched in amusement as Francesca pushed on Fraser's chest and he didn't move. She looked up at them with an evil grin. "Uh, could you guys turn around for a second? He's really out." "Frannie, what are you gonna' do to him?" "Just turn around Ray." "No way! You're gonna' do something disgusting I know it."

Ray grabbed a hold of one of Fraser's legs and yanked it, yelling out his name. "Benny!" Fraser jerked awake, looking startled when he saw the three of them staring at him. "What's wrong?" Francesca grinned happily at him. "It's almost midnight Benton!" "Oh." He leaned back in the recliner and closed his eyes. Francesca immediately shoved him in the chest, causing him to open his eyes again. "Oh come on Benton! It's our first New Year's Eve together." She shoved him again. "Get up!"

Fraser grabbed Francesca by the waist as he stood up, holding her tightly to him, so she wouldn't fall as he snapped the recliner forward. He smiled at Ray when he saw him cringe. Ray loved his recliner almost as much as he loved the RIv. Once they were out of the chair, Francesca ran out of the room. Stretching, he looked over at Ray and Thatcher who were both watching him with little smiles on their faces.

"What do you both find so amusing?" They both spoke at once. "You look like...a little kid." Their voices trailed off and they broke out into huge grins. "This is way too scary Meg." "What? Us saying the same thing or your sister trying to get him up?" Ray started laughing. "I'm not touching that one."

Thatcher looked at Ray blankly, then she looked at Fraser who was once more turning pink. Fraser brushed past them. "That is not funny." She looked over at Ray once more. "You are as nasty minded as your sister." Ray held his hands up in front of him in a pleading gesture. "I'm sorry, but you have no idea what those two put me through. They go at it...well I think I had better stop talking ." "Yes, I believe that would be wise." *I really do not need to know how sexually active Constable Fraser is.* Ray held his hand out to her. "Let's go and toast the New Year." 

 

They walked into the kitchen together and Ray noticed that Fraser didn't look very happy. *Serves him right.* Francesca shot Ray a dirty look and walked over to him. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Sure Frannie." He released Thatcher's hand and followed Francesca to a corner of the room. She spoke in a low threatening tone. "You keep it up Ray and I'll make life really miserable for you. You are to leave Benton alone, do you understand me? You're the one who said he has to work with her, so don't pull any shit like that again."

Francesca turned and walked back to Fraser who was now looking down at her in confusion. Ray saw her poke Fraser sharply in the chest and say something to him. His reply was a very loud "Dear Lord!" and he blushed a bright red. He looked at Ray and then back at Francesca. He then pulled her over to the back door. *Geez...Benny looks...pissed?*

Francesca looked as if she were about to walk away from him, but Fraser maneuvered himself so that he blocked her path. He leaned in close to her. Ray could see Francesca nodding her head yes as she looked down at the floor. Fraser then pulled her into a hug and was whispering something to her. When they backed away from each other they were both smiling and holding hands as they walked over to the table.

*I will never understand these two as long as I live.* Ray edged over and stood next to Fraser. "Is everything O.K.?" "Yes Ray." "What was that all about?" He pointed over at the door. "It was personal." "You...never mind. Lets' get our glasses and fill them up." "Fill them up with what?" "Wine Benny. Or champagne. Go take your's and Frannie's glasses over to Ma."

Ray held the glasses out to Fraser, who only stared at them. "I don't drink Ray." "Oh don't be such a smuck Benny. It's New Year's Eve! Is it going to kill you to have one little drink?" Fraser hesitated and the walked over to Mrs. Vecchio. She filled one glass with wine and then the other one with apple juice. Fraser walked slowly back to where Ray stood, noticing the look that Ray was giving him.

"You couldn't have just one drink? What is wrong with you?" "It's...well...it's a long story and I would prefer not to tell it." "Oh let me guess." Ray's voice was sarcastic. "You got bombed once and did all sorts of stupid stuff that you couldn't remember and when people told you what you did, you got embarrassed." "Uh...well..." "Yes or no Benny!" Fraser looked at his feet. "Yes, but..." No buts. Pray tell, may I ask what you did?"

Mrs. Vecchio cut in on their conversation. "It is a few minutes before midnight. Let us prepare to welcome the New Year." Fraser's face was a very relieved one and he took Francesca by the hand and pulled her away from everyone. *He thinks this conversation is over? Not by a long shot. I want to know what he did.*

Mrs. Vecchio opened the back door. "Now the New Year may enter. Raymondo would you care to make the toast?" "Sure Ma." Ray held his glass up. "Here's to the past year, which held a lot of surprises. Some I would have never dreamed of." He looked pointedly at Fraser and Francesca who smiled back at him. "And here's to the New Year. May we all enjoy it and the surprises that lay in wait." His eyes briefly rested on Thatcher's, who smiled slightly above the rim of her glass as she sipped her wine.

Ray moved closer to Thatcher as the clock struck twelve. With a quick glance around he kissed her. They both looked around the room rather shyly, unsure of how anyone would react. Ray saw his mother smile at them. Maria and Tony had hugged and kissed and Ray could have sworn he saw Maria wink at him. Francesca and Fraser...Ray sighed. Of course they were locked in one of their typical kisses, oblivious to the world around them.

Ray kept watching them and had to smother his laughter when Thatcher leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Have you ever timed them?" When they broke apart from their kiss, Fraser leaned forward and said something to Francesca. He then smiled as she burst into tears, hugging him tightly. "Aw geez! Come one Frannie, enough already!"

Ray jumped forward in pain. With a shocked expression he looked back at Thatcher who raised an eyebrow and smiled sweetly at him. "I believe you need to concentrate on other things...Raymundo." He rubbed his ass where she had pinched him. "O.K. Meg." He moved closer to her. "Why did you do that?" She lowered her voice slightly. "Why don't you leave them alone?" "What? Did you see same thing I did?" "Yes I did. And it was nice."

Ray looked back over to Francesca and Fraser who where still hugging each other and talking softly. Then they started laughing. "That's enough. Get over here you two." They looked up at Ray and slowly walked over, looking quiet happy with one another. "So Benny. You wanna' tell me that drinking story now?" 

 

Fraser stared back at Ray without answering him. "Benny? Your drinking story?" Ray smiled at Fraser waiting for his response. *Boy, he must have really screwed up!* "Uh...it's not really all that interesting." "Oh yes it is. You're fidgeting. You only fidget when you're afraid to say something." Francesca nudged Fraser gently. "Go ahead and tell it. We've all been drunk before. You couldn't have done anything so bad that you should be ashamed of it."

Fraser tugged at his earlobe and exhaled loudly. Then he cleared his throat and smiled weakly at Francesca. "I really don't remember much of it. Most of what I know, came second hand to me." "Yeah, what do 'you' remember Benny. Tell us, we're all ears." He shifted nervously from foot to foot. Opening his mouth to speak he quickly closed it. "Oh come on!' Ray looked at Fraser, clearly irritated.

"I remember going to a bar. It was Constable Ryan's birthday and a group from our post went out. I usually didn't go with them, but they decided to drag me along this time." Fraser hesitated again looking extremely uncomfortable. Francesca reached over and held his hand. "Go ahead. You probably did the same things the rest of us have done." Fraser muttered under his breath. "That's highly unlikely." "What did you say Benny?" Ray was peering intently at him.

Fraser didn't repeat himself. "I ended up getting into a contest of sorts with a Corporal Allen. It was all rather stupid, but it was a matter of honor for our detachment." "And the contest was drinking." "Yes Ray." "Why did they pick you? You don't drink now, did you drink back then?" "No Ray. I think they chose me...as something of a joke. They were all surprised when I drank Corporal Allen under the table so to speak.

Ray started laughing. "You? You out drank someone and you were a nondrinker?" "Yes Ray. The problem was...the more I drank, the less I remember. By the time the night was over...well...I was told that I had acted in a manner most unbecoming a member of the R.C.M.P."

Thatcher who had been listening to the exchange crossed her arms and looked at Fraser thoroughly confused. "I never saw anything in your records about a drinking incident." Fraser tucked his head down and looked at the floor, clearly embarrassed. "My commanding officer never entered any of the incidents into my official records. He said it was about time that I had... loosened up." "He approved of your actions?" "Yes Sir...Meg." "I find that hard to believe." "As did I, but I was rather grateful that he viewed the incidents in that light. From what I was told, I believe I would have been imprisoned for my actions."

Ray doubled over in laughter and Thatcher shook her head. "There had to have been a reason for him not entering anything." Fraser sighed. "I thought at first that the other officers were pulling another joke on me, but...I knew from my physical state that I had done some things that I shouldn't have." "Yeah Benny? Like what?" Ray was still laughing as he spoke.

"The obvious things were a massive headache, assorted bruises on my person and a few facial cuts. Plus the knuckles of my hands were torn open." Ray stopped laughing and stared at Fraser in amazement. "You got into a fight too?" Fraser looked back down at the floor again. "They were not what you would call altercations. They were bare knuckle boxing matches." "Oh this is too good! You said matches. How many?" "Five" Ray smiled. "Five? How many did you win?" Fraser's answer was a whisper. "Five." "I didn't hear you Benny speak louder." Fraser gritted his teeth and spoke up. "I won all five matches Ray."

"O.K. Let me get this all straight. You're drunk off your ass, but you still managed to beat the crap out of five guys?" "Ray, they were drunk too." "So, that's still pretty good. What's the big deal about all of this? You got smashed and then you fought some." Fraser looked nervously at Francesca and then at Thatcher. "I..." "Come on. Spit it out." Fraser leaned forward and whispered into Ray's ear. "Hey! No fair Benton! Tell us too!" Ray burst out laughing. "No way?! You did not?!" Fraser turned a bright red. "Ray." "Oh this is beyond good!" "Ray." "I'm sorry Benny, I have to tell them." "Ray no!"

Ray ran around the table as Fraser lunged forward to grab him. "Ray, please don't!" Francesca looked at his panicked face. "Benton it can't be that bad." *Maybe it is. He looks like he's gonna' have a heart attack.* "Ray...please." His voice had a pleading tone to it. "I'm sorry Benny, but I have to." Ray smiled brightly. "He..." "Ray!" Francesca cut him off. "If he asked you not to tell us, then why are you doing it?"

Ray stared back at Francesca, with a large smile still plastered on his face. "I have to Frannie. It's too good!" Fraser looked across the table and he was obviously getting angry with Ray. "It was not good. My actions resulted in..." He took another deep breath, "I am not going to tell you anything in confidence again. You can 'not' be trusted." "Hey, you didn't tell me not to say anything. Besides, who cares? You were trashed and you said everyone knew you were. So what is the bid deal here?"

"The big deal is..." Fraser paused again. He now seemed as if he were on the verge of crying. Francesca grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out of the kitchen and into the foyer. "I know you don't care if I hear it, but you don't want Thatcher to know, am I right?" "Yes." She folded her arms and smiled at him. "What did you whisper to Ray?" Fraser ran a hand through his hair. "I won...a woman...in one of the boxing matches. And I had sex with her."

Francesca looked at Fraser in disbelief at first, but it changed into a smile. "So you were in your pig days then?" "No, not exactly. But I figured it out the next morning, when I woke up and she was with me. Or should I say, I was with her. In her home." Fraser still looked extremely guilty. "O.K. Benton. What else is there to this story? You didn't tell Ray the whole thing."

"She..the woman I won in the bet...she was Corporal Allen's wife." "What?!" Fraser looked down at the floor once more. "Wait a minute. This Allen guy bets his wife and she accepted? Was she drunk too?" "No, she wasn't. Apparently she was tired of her husbands drinking and betting habits, so she decided to use me as a means to teach him a lesson."

"And you don't remember any of it?" Fraser shook his head no. "Then how did you know that you did anything?" He kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. "Well...there were certain...there are ways to tell." "Like what?" He finally looked up at Francesca. "Do I really have to go into details?" "Uh...yes! I am getting married to you. It would be nice to know this stuff." "I had numerous...marks on my person and so did Corporal Allen's wife. And...well...you know..certain body fluids..." "O.K. I get the picture."

Francesca regarded the guilty figure before her. "How did Corporal Allen react to all of this when he found out about you and his wife?" Fraser swallowed nervously. "After he got out of the infirmary..." "You put him in the hospital?" "Yes...I broke his nose, some ribs and his left arm." "Geez, you're one nasty drunk." "No, I was told that the injuries all occurred during our fight. I was told that once I was offered his wife as...well...they said that it got out of hand." "Damn...you were that hard up for sex that you'd beat the shit out of someone for it?" "Francesca, I don't know! All I know is what I was told!"

"O.K. Calm down. What happened after this Allen guy got out of the hospital?" Fraser cleared his throat. "He and Mr.'s Allen divorced. He was transferred and she went home to her parents." "Damn. And what happened to you?" "Nothing. As I have said, my commanding officer found all of it rather amusing."

Francesca smiled. "You are one lucky Mountie, Benton Fraser." He frowned. "No. Just extremely stupid at the time." "No, you were lucky. If you weren't still a Mountie, you would have never come to Chicago. And if you never came to Chicago, you wouldn't have met me. So consider all of that as fate." "No, I consider it extremely embarrassing and degrading. My actions lead to a divorce and they disgraced me."

"How many years ago did this happen?" "Fourteen." "Benton, that was a long time ago. Forget about it. You've proven that you're a better person than that." She reached forward and hugged him around the waist. "Besides, you have better things to think about now. The wedding, the honeymoon, what I'm going to do to you after everyone goes to bed tonight..." She looked up at his face to see if he was paying attention to her. He was.

"Francesca we can not do anything else tonight. Ray would not be pleased." "I don't care. Pleasing Ray is gonna' be Thatcher's job. I'm gonna' make you forget all about your little drinking story. Now let's go back and see if Ray ratted you out." She took his hand and they slowly walked back towards the kitchen. 

 

Francesca practically pulled Fraser through the kitchen entrance. He was painfully squeezing her hand. "Benton." She tugged at his hand. "Oh, sorry." His tight grip released itself into a more relaxed one. She watched him as he tensed up, waiting for Ray to jump on him the moment he came into the room. She noted rather happily, that Thatcher had taken control of things in their absence.

Ray stood perfectly still staring over at Fraser. He felt Thatcher push him forward. "Go ahead." He turned back and gave her a dirty look, and she calmly crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. Ray quickly turned away from her and walked over to Fraser and Francesca, nervously looking over his shoulder at Thatcher.

"I'm really sorry about what I did. You don't have to finish your story, if you don't want to. And I won't tell Meg or Frannie what you said." The relief on Fraser's face was immediate. "Thank you kindly Ray." Francesca looked past Ray and smiled a knowing smile at Thatcher, who returned it with one of her own. Looking back at Ray, Francesca grinned at him, watching him cringe. *It seems the Dragon Lady has big brother Ray all in knots. I am gonna' tease the shit out of him for this!* 

 

Mrs. Vecchio had set out some snacks for everyone and excused herself to go to bed. Maria and Tony took their plates and went back to the den leaving the others to talk at the table. Their discussions centered mainly around work, which Francesca found boring. *Let's see. They work all day and complain they have to work. But what do they do when they have some free time? They talk about work! Geez, how dull can they be?*

The moment that Thatcher inquired about Fraser's house, Francesca immediately perked up. "Oh it's so cute! I mean it was a real dump to begin with, but you know Benton. He's really good with his hands." She smiled lewdly at him and squeezed his thigh under the table, satisfied when he turned a slight pink. "Frannie, get your hands on the table." "Oh go to hell Ray. Anyway...we've already decided that the small room downstairs will be the guest room and we're gonna' get one of those sofa beds for the living room. The second bedroom upstairs will be the nursery."

"Nursery?" Thatcher's mouth dropped open slightly. Francesca rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not pregnant...yet." She grinned evilly over at Ray and squeezed Fraser's thigh again. He looked back at her and smiled slightly. "You're planning on having a child right away?" "Yeah. Why wait? I mean, we're not exactly all that young you know. Benton's thirty-five and I'm thirty-one. We want to have all of our kids before he's forty."

"May I ask how many would that be?" Francesca wiggled four fingers, watching in delight at the shocked expression on Thatcher's face. She obviously never even considered them having one child, let alone four. "Francesca wanted to have six, but I talked her into having only four. It's a nice even number." Fraser smiled at Francesca and took her hand in his under the table. She in turn nudged his foot with hers.

Francesca grinned at Thatcher. *O.K. Let's see what she thinks about kids.* "So Meg, how many kids do you want?" "Excuse me?" "I mean, if you ever got married, would you have any kids?" Thatcher sat quietly, her face one of deep concentration. "I've never really given it much thought." Francesca quickly glanced at Ray and then back at Thatcher.

"Let pretend you got married to my brother Ray. Would you want to have any kids with him?" "Frannie knock it off!" "Oh come on Ray! It's a pretend thing. It's not like she's ever going to want to marry you for Christ's sake. Just relax!" Thatcher looked cautiously at Ray and then back at the eager face of Francesca. When she looked at Fraser, she could have sworn that she saw him smiling at her, but now he had his blank Mountie face on.

"I don't know. I suppose I would have...one." "One? That's it?" "Well, I do have my job to consider. I have worked rather hard to get where I'm at. Just because I would get married and have a child, it wouldn't mean that I would have to give up my life in the R.C.M.P." Francesca smiled over at Ray. "One kid's O.K. I guess." She saw that she was really beginning to bug the hell out of Ray. *This is so much fun! God I'm glad he invited her over tonight.*

"You won't have any arguments from me. I'm still gonna' work part time at the precinct after I have my first baby. Benton said I can quit if I want to." Ray looked over at Fraser in surprise. "You don't want Frannie to work?" "No, it's not like that Ray. I told Francesca it's her decision as to whether or not she wishes to continue working. I'm sure we could manage financially if she didn't."

Francesca smiled happily. "I choose Ray. I get to do what I want to do. I don't have to work if I don't want to. I can work full time and let Maria watch the kids for me. 'I' get to decide what 'I' want to do." Ray smiled back at Francesca, shaking his head. *Shit. Gino said that if Frannie ever had a kid, she'd stay home and that was that. Thank you God, for not letting Frannie have a kid by that bastard!* 

 

They continued talking about the house and what they had planned for the yard. Thatcher looked down at her watch, blinking in surprise. It was two thirty in the morning. *Where has the time gone?* Looking across the table, she suppressed a smile. Fraser had his head resting in one hand. She could see that he was struggling to stay awake. Francesca on the other hand was a perky as she was hours ago. *Doesn't she ever get tired?*

She watched as Francesca reached over and ran her hand lightly through Fraser's hair. He smiled sleepily at her, oblivious to the fact that she and Ray were still in the room with them. Taking a quick peek at Ray, she caught him looking at her. She smiled back at him and he gave her a sheepish look.

Thatcher stood up. "I believe that I should be going home. It is rather late." "What do you mean you're going home? Didn't Ray tell you, you could stay in the guest room? We're supposed to have a really big lunch tomorrow." Ray sighed. "Frannie." "That's all right Ray. He did ask me, but I have a few things that I need to do tomorrow. I'd rather go home and sleep in my own bed. Plus my cat is probably missing me."

Ray smiled as he looked at her. "You have a cat? I never thought you would be a pet person." "There's alot of things you don't know about me." Thatcher really didn't have any plans for the next day, but she didn't want to take the chance of getting stuck at Ray's if things didn't work out. But now she wished she had said yes. "What's the cat's name?" "Her name is Maggie." "Cute. Meg and Maggie Thatcher." She shook her head lightly and started walking towards the door. Ray quickly got up and walked with her. "I'll see you out." Fraser and Francesca called out their good nights to her.

As soon as she left the room Francesca started to giggle. "They are too cute Benton. I think Ray is gonna' regret teasing us. I am gonna' to torture him soooooo bad." Fraser held up a finger. "Do not start in on him yet. Wait until we know that they are definitely going out with one another." Benton, Ray is hooked." Fraser made a doubting face at her. "I don't think so." "I bet you he is. She's bossing him around already. The only other person he ever let do that to him, was Angie. And he 'married' her!" Fraser looked over at the kitchen entrance, a smile slowly appearing on his face. Operation, get Ray a woman, was going just fine. 

 

"So Frase, you wanna' mess around a little?" He quickly looked back at Francesca. "No we can 'not' do anything. Besides..I'm tired." She stood up and sat in Fraser's lap, squirming slightly. Wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders, she began to lightly nibble at his neck. After a minute of doing this, she whispered in his ear, "You don't 'feel' tired." Pulling back slightly, she grinned at him. "Come on. Meg's not staying in the guest room. Let's go upstairs and...play a little."

Ray chose that moment to walk back into the kitchen. "I don't know what was worse. You moping around wanting him or you hanging all over him, now that he's yours." "Bite me Ray." "No...that's Benny's job." Francesca slapped Fraser in the chest when he started laughing. "I'm sorry Francesca. But Ray has basically given me permission to bite you. Now that it is my prescribed vocation..."

She squealed out her laughter as Fraser roughly grabbed her and began biting at her neck. "You are both sick!" Ray yelled at them and left the kitchen. Francesca peeked up and saw that they were alone again. "You can stop now Benton. Ray's gone." Fraser continued biting at her neck, as he slowly inched his hands into her sweater.

"I guess this means you're not tired anymore?" "Nope." "Nope? You're picking up some really bad habits." "Yup." "Stop it!" Fraser chuckled. "I believe the expression you would use is...I'm gonna' do you but good." He looked rather pleased with himself. "Oh are you now? Didn't you just tell me we can't do anything?" "I've changed my mind."

She pushed herself down into his lap. "Nah. It's not your mind that decided anything. Your little head seems to be the one doing all of your thinking right now." Fraser regarded Francesca seriously. "Perhaps. But I like the way he is thinking." "You know...you are really sick." "Thank you kindly." His hands cupped her breasts beneath her sweater. "Did you know you have the most perfectly sized breasts?" Francesca laughed as he gently caressed them. "Oh? Is it because you have your hands on them..."

She bit her lip as he pulled her sweater up and began suckling the breast that he had exposed. Slowly releasing her nipple, Fraser stared into her eyes. "No, they are perfect because they are a part of you. And I love all of you." Francesca smiled. "You are such a flirt. But flattery will get you everywhere with me." She pushed away from him and stood up, holding a hand out. "Come on. Let's go upstairs."

Fraser shook his head no and smiled back at her. "No." "What do you mean, no!" "No, as in I am not going upstairs. Ma put sheets and pillows on the chair in the den. That's where I'm supposed to sleep." "Then get your butt up and let's go play on the sofa. Remember the first time we did it there?" Her voice held a teasing quality to it. "How could I forget? It was rather nice." "Nice? It wasn't 'nice' it was really good and you know it. Get up."

She held her hand out to him again. Fraser took her hand in his, but instead of standing up, he pulled her back into his lap. Francesca struggled to stand, but he held her tightly in place. Sighing, she looked at him. "O.K. Benton. Why won't you let me get up and go to the sofa?" He smiled as he spoke. "I wanted to see how much you wanted me right now." She pushed him in the shoulder. "You're getting a little too overconfident for your own good. Let me up now or you'll get none."

Fraser jerked his arms away from her. "I thought so." She started laughing at him. "You're going to die when you don't get any for two weeks." "And you won't suffer at all?" "Nope. I'll be just fine." "I find that highly unlikely Francesca. You are the one who initiates the majority of our sexual contact." Her voice was indignant and she jabbed him in the chest with her index finger as she spoke. "Oh really?! Excuse me, Mister I can't keep my hands to myself. You're the one who always has his hands in my pants or up my shirt! You're the one who can't say no to save your life." "No." "Very funny. I'm serious. Let's go play around on the sofa."

She snapped her finger. "I almost forgot. Let me go and get a handful of Lucky13's." "A 'handful'?" "Yes Benton, a handful. I haven't decided how many times I'm gonna' make you do it." "As I have stated before, I'm tired and don't forget that we did something earlier. Don't expect alot from me." She waved him off. "Yeah whatever. Once we get going, you'll change your mind. You always do." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the foyer.

"You go and get the sofa ready and I'll go upstairs and get the goodies." Francesca grinned evilly at Fraser. She turned and ran up the stairs, leaving a confused Fraser standing alone in the foyer. *Goodies? Since when does she refer to Lucky13's as goodies?* Shaking his head, he walked into he den. 

 

It only took Fraser a few minutes to make up the sofa and then he began to undress. He could hear someone coming down the stairs. Cocking his head to the side, he listened. The steps were Francesca's. Wearing only his boxers and a smile, he hunkered down by the entrance of the den. The moment she walked in, he jumped out and grabbed her. Shrieking loudly, Francesca threw several items in the air. "Damn it Benton, don't do that! You're getting as bad as Ray!" He tried acting guilty, but failed. "I am sorry." "Yeah, I bet you are." Francesca replied sarcastically as she bent down to retrieve the dropped items.

Fraser knelt down beside her. Picking up a bottle lying on the floor, he started smiling as he read the label. Unscrewing the cap he sniffed it. "What is this for?" Francesca grinned back at Fraser. "Oh, I guess since we're gonna' start the New Year off with a 'bang', we could maybe try something different." He picked up a small tube and read the label out loud. "Hot cinnamon nipple cream. Is this for both of us?"

Her grin turned into a smile as she finished picking up the last of the Lucky13's from the carpet. "I bought it to try on you, but I guess we could both use it." "Where did you find these things?" She grew very animated as she talked. "My friend Kassie, the paralegal, well she had one of those sex parties. It was so much fun! I think I spent over a hundred dollars that night."

Fraser narrowed his eyes at her. "A sex party?" She noticed the strange look he was giving her. "No! I didn't have sex there! Geez Benton! It's like a Tupperware party for sex toys and stuff like this." He regarded her with another look. "What's Tupperware?" Francesca sighed. "Never mind. I bought this stuff and a few other...goodies. Wait until our honeymoon. You're gonna' love the lingerie that I bought." "May I see it 'before' the wedding?" She stared at him in amazement. "No you can't see it! That would ruin the whole idea of it. Let's just say...you're gonna' really like it."

As she spoke she moved towards Fraser and ran a finger in the waistband of his boxers. Pulling the band forward, she looked down inside. "Hum. Looks like someone's sleeping. Do you think I could wake him up?" He smirked at her. "Maybe if you shook him a little, he might be willing to come out and play." She giggled lightly. "O.K., let's wake him up."

She led him over to the sofa and pushed him back onto it. Fraser looked at her warily. "What are you going to do?" Kneeling down between his legs, she smiled up at him as she picked up the small bottle from the coffee table. Holding it up she grinned. "Cherry flavored edible oil Benton." "You didn't answer my question Francesca." She reached forward and poked him in the crotch. "I'm gonna' wake him up."

She began to run her hand gently over him. "You know Benton, it's kinda' weird if you think about it. You're all soft right now, but all I have to do is keep touching you like this and you'll get really excited and then you'll be hard." She looked up at him and saw Fraser staring down at her. "Yup. You're getting excited already. It's doesn't take much with you does it?" His only answer was for him to smile at her.

She held the bottle of oil up again. "Can I use this?" "Whatever you want, you can do." "Oh, really?!" "Within reason." "Damn! O.K., I want these gone." She tugged at his boxers. Fraser stood up and stepped out of them and dropped the boxers on Francesca's head as he sat back down on the sofa. "You think you're funny." She pulled the boxers off of her head and threw them at his face. He caught them in the air before they could hit him. The moment he grabbed them, Francesca grabbed his growing erection, hearing him gasp at her touch.

"Now, I'm in charge here. Do you understand?" "Yes." "Good." She drizzled some oil on his stomach. Taking her hand away from him, she drizzled a small amount in the palm of her hand. Setting the bottle down, she grinned. "Let's see if this stuff is any good." Grabbing his erection once more, she began to twist her hand around him, feeling him growing harder with each pull and tug. "Yeah, you like this." "Yes, there is less...friction." Fraser smiled at Francesca, but then quickly gritted his teeth when she grasped him tighter.

"Can I see if it really tastes like cherry?" Without waiting for him to respond, she leaned forward, only to feel his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "No." "Why not? Besides, I'm the one in charge here!" Taking his index finger, he ran it along his stomach and held it out to her. "Taste this." "You're no fun." With an evil glint in her eye, she sucked his finger. "Ummmm." Swirling her tongue around it, she sucked hard as she pulled away from him. She noticed that he was holding his breath.

"You think maybe I can move onto something...bigger? Don't get me wrong Benton. Your finger is nice, but I think you'll like this better." She leaned forward again and noticed with a touch of satisfaction, that he didn't stop her this time. Slowly sucking at just the tip, she would occasionally flick her tongue along the base. She then moved her mouth down over his shaft, feeling him tense up beneath her.

She felt him shift slightly on the sofa. Francesca peeked up at Fraser. He was leaning back against the sofa with his head thrown back with his eyes closed. Dragging her teeth lightly over his skin, she moved away to lick at the oil on his stomach, letting her hair brush against him. He grasped her by the shoulders and pulled her up and onto the sofa next to him, then gently pushed her back.

Without saying a word, he pulled her sweater and bra off, carelessly tossing them onto the floor. With a smile he took the tube of cream and spread a small amount on each nipple. Slowly rubbing it in, he then palmed each breast. Francesca noticed a look of indecision cross his face. "What's wrong?" "I am trying to decide if I want to taste the cherry oil or the hot cinnamon cream first." "I don't have any of the oil on me Benton." With a sly smile, he leaned down and kissed her, letting his tongue run along hers. Pulling back slightly, he smiled again. "The cherry flavor is rather weak."

With that comment he slid down and began to slowly suck at one of her breasts. Running her fingers through his hair, she arched her back slightly, pushing herself against his lips. As he moved to the other breast, Francesca felt his hands run beneath her back as he pulled her up to him. *He definitely likes the cinnamon better.* He suckled her breast in long hot pulls. She heard him moan slightly and them move to her neck, where he trailed light kisses. Moving back to her mouth, she moaned in return. This kiss was definitely more passionate than the last one.

When he pulled away from her, she saw a teasing smile on his face. "May I place my hands down your pants Francesca? I am asking permission this time." "How about you just take them off. That would be better." She didn't have to ask him twice and almost laughed at him, when he practically ripped her jeans and underwear off of her. "What would you like to do Francesca?" She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know? Let's just mess around a little." "Mess around? That is a very broad selection." "O.K., fine. Do what you want." "If I did what I wanted...your family would know what we are doing."

Francesca felt a wave of excitement run though her. "And what would that be?" "No...not here. But we could do something that is a variation...well we have done it before, just not the same way." She stared back at Fraser. "You've lost me." Reaching forward she grabbed his erection and ran her thumb over the head. "Quit talking and show me." "Very well. If you insist." Brushing her hand away, he smiled at her as he reached over and picked up a Lucky13 off of the coffee table. Noticing that Francesca had indeed brought a handful down with her.

As he rolled the condom on he shook his head at her and nodded at the pile of condoms. "If you think we are going to use all of them, you are highly mistaken." She lay back against the sofa and grinned up at him. "I don't know. Maybe we can break our old record?" "No, we will not! I didn't realize that our having sex was a contest." He looked down at her with a questioning expression. "What does this mean to you?" "Huh?" "Our being together like this? What does it mean to you?"

Francesca's eyes widened. "Oh no you don't! Don't do this to me! I love you and this is part of expressing our love for each other. It's not a game. Do you feel better now?" "No." She sighed in irritation. "What do you want me to say?" "Nothing." Leaning over her, he lightly kissed her face and then moved once more to her mouth. He deepened the kiss, pressing himself down against her. As Francesca returned his kiss, she felt as if he were trying to consume her soul. Each touch on her body was hot. His hands ran over her, caressing her skin.

Slowly easing her off the sofa, Francesca found herself hanging partially off of the sofa so that her head rested almost on the floor. Fraser held her by the hips so she wouldn't fall completely off. Releasing one hand from her hip, he braced it against the coffee table. "What are you doing Benton?" Without speaking, he slowly nudged her legs open. "You aren't serious are yo..."

Francesca's breath caught as Fraser slowly pushed his length into her. Bracing her hands behind her head, she felt him slowly thrusting into her, gradually increasing his pace as she became accustom to the position they were in. He looked down to gauge her reaction, pleased to see her biting at her lip. He continued thrusting against her, watching the play of emotions on her face. Without stopping, he reach down and pulled her back up to the sofa, increasing his thrusts and then moving to shallow short ones. She pushed her hands against his chest, digging her nails into his skin as she came. Her cries of pleasure were muffled as she clamped down her mouth. She didn't need to let the whole house know about them.

Opening her eyes she looked up at Fraser, seeing him struggling for control, but at the same time his eyes held a glint of mischief in them. Before she could question him, he quickly pulled out from her and tore the condom off. Laying down on her, he pressed his erection down against her flat, tight stomach, moving against her gently and then with more urgency. "You are not going to..." He covered her mouth with his, kissing her deeply, as his body jerked against hers as he came.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled down at her. He was breathing heavily as he began to laugh at her shocked expression. She pushed at his chest. "Why did you do that?!" "You said that I could...do what I wanted...and I did." Pushing himself up, he sat looking down at Francesca. Taking a hand, he began to rub his cum over her stomach and chest. She made a face at him and grabbed at his hand. "That's disgusting Benton." He snickered and held his hand up to her face, laughing as she moved away from it.

"For someone who has 'swallowed' you have nerve calling me disgusting Francesca." "That's different." He snickered again. "You don't mind me in you, but you don't want me on you?" "Benton, what has gotten into you tonight?!" He chuckled. "It's the other way around Francesca. It is I who have gotten into you tonight." She stared back at him in amazement. He was finally joking with her. It was in a sick way, but he was doing it. He saw the look on her face and he reached down to hug her, laughing as he did it. "I love you Francesca." "I love you too Benton...you perv." 

 

Fraser tucked himself behind Francesca pulling her into his embrace. She felt his hand run gently down her side. Remembering only a few months ago how she felt frightened by his sudden change in moods, she now welcomed them. His gentle touch meant only one thing. He was done with the playing and teasing. He wanted to make love to her.

His kisses were as light as the touch from his fingertips and as he shifted to lay on top of her, he rested his weight on his forearms. A gentle smile appeared. "You do know that this is probably the last time we will do something here. On this sofa, in this house." Reaching a hand up, Francesca caressed the back of his neck. "Yes, but think of all the things we can do at 'our' house. When we want, where we want and with no interruptions."

Their kisses were soft, tongues touching and exploring. Hands stoking and caressing. Nothing was hurried. As he moved to enter her once more, she heard him sigh in frustration. "What's wrong Benton?" Pushing himself up, Fraser plucked a Lucky13 from the coffee table. Francesca shook her head and stopped him from opening the foil coin. "It's not like it's important anymore. Why do we need to use it? We'll be married soon. What's a few weeks?"

She saw his hesitation. *He's actually thinking about it?!* "No." Removing the condom from it's package he rolled it on and once more lay on top of her. This time Francesca sighed. "Why?" Fraser rested his head against her shoulder and then he looked back at her with a slight smile on his lips. "Because all I can see is Ray's face, telling me repeatedly that we shouldn't. The last thing I want to visualize while I'm with you is Ray's face." She snickered. "That is sick." He traced her features with a finger. "Ray is O.K., but you are beautiful." "I should hope that you prefer me to him."

He kissed her once more and moved into her. Their lovemaking was slow and soft. She enjoyed watching the play of emotions on his face. The love and the tenderness, the look of deep concentration and finally his complete surrender at the moment of his release. And she knew that he was watching her as well. The smile on his face that appeared when she would bite at her lip. The look in his eye when she would cry out. Everything was so...perfect.

When Francesca had gone to the sex party that Kassie had, she tried her best not to make any comments about her and Fraser's sex life. But when most of the woman began complaining about their partners sexual habits, she had burst out laughing. The entire room had grown silent and they all turned and stared at her, expecting an answer to her reaction.

"Well...I don't have any complaints." Kassie had narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "It's the truth Kassie." She laughed again. "I get what I want, when I want it and it's all about me." She patted herself on the chest as she spoke. A woman that Francesca didn't know gave her a snide reply. "And what does Mr. Perfect look like?"

Kassie smiled at that comment. She knew what Fraser looked like. Francesca pulled a photo from her wallet and it was passed around the room. Kassie grinned and nudged Francesca. "Hey guys...stop with the drooling." She heard so many jealous responses that she began to feel uncomfortable. "Well...he's not perfect. I mean he's..." She paused as she tried to think of some things about Fraser that irritated her. "He's shy." That comment brought out a lot of ahs and 'oh that's so cute' remarks.

"Face it Frannie. You don't need one of these do you?" Kassie held up a vibrator, causing Francesca to laugh and wave a hand at her. "God no! He's bigger than that!" She quickly caught herself and shut up. Kassie stared at the rather large vibrator in her hand. "I hate you Frannie." Thank God, Tammy the hostess chose that moment to bring out the lingerie. The rooms attention finally focused itself away from her. But as the party progressed, she still got the occasional look from the other woman. And to top it all off...her picture of Fraser was never returned.

And now she was lying next to him on the sofa, snuggled against his chest. The only sound in the room was their relaxed breathing. She realized that she was lucky. That the other woman did have reasons to be jealous. Hugging him tightly, she felt a light kiss on her forehead as she drifted off to sleep. 

 

Francesca opened her eyes and stretched. *I must have dozed off.* With a sense of panic, she realized that it was morning. She could hear someone coming down the stairs. *Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!* Pulling herself from Fraser's embrace, she sat up and grabbed all of her 'goodies' and shoved them into one of the pillowcases on the sofa. Grabbing the sheet that was hanging off of the sofa, she pulled it up, covering her and Fraser's naked bodies.

The steps were coming towards the den. *Oh my God!* Reaching a hand down she snatched the used condoms that she spied on the floor. She held them tightly in her hand as the sleepy voice of Ray, cut through the silence of the room. *Great! It had to be him! Why couldn't it be Maria for once?*

"Hey Benny, the kids will be up soon. Why don't you go and sleep in the guest room." Francesca looked up into his startled face. "Good morning Ray." He glared down at her. "So Frannie. Once wasn't enough last night was it?" "Yeah it was. We did it twice this morning." "Jesus Christ! Can't you keep your hands off of him?!" At that moment Fraser rolled over in his sleep, grabbing Francesca, he pulled her to him and snuggled up to her back.

Francesca started giggling. "Yeah, I can keep my hands off of him. But as you can see...Benton can't keep his hands off of me." She smiled sweetly at Ray and hugged Fraser's arm that had wrapped around her. "You need to get dressed and get upstairs. The kids will be down here soon and I don't think that they need to see this!" Ray gestured at the two of them on the sofa. "Why not Ray? It's better that they see Benton and I as a loving couple. I mean all they have to look at lately is their sexually repressed Uncle Ray."

Ray opened his mouth to yell at her, but Francesca cut him off. "Can't you let up? We're getting married in five weeks Ray. I thought that you would be use to it by now!" "Frannie..." Ray stopped and ran a hand over his head. His voice was less irritated when he spoke again. "Yes, I'm use to you and Benny being together. But actually seeing it...never. It's gross Frannie. You're my little sister. Shit! Benny's like my brother. It's just...gross."

Francesca leaned back against Fraser and regarded Ray. "Yeah. I'm you're little sister and you're always going to be my big brother. I know you're just trying to be protective Ray, but I don't need you to do that anymore. Benton can do that for me now. What I need from you is your support. I want you to accept all of it." "I do Frannie, but...I can't help it." She sighed. "I know."

They looked at each other and Francesca finally smiled up at Ray. "Don't worry. I'll get rid of sleeping beauty here. We'll be gone before the kids come down." "Thanks." As he turned to leave the room, she stopped him. "So...are you and Meg gonna' date?" Ray froze in place and turned back around. "Don't even start Frannie." His tone of voice was low and threatening. "I'm not!"

He stood glaring down at her. She couldn't resist. "Are you and Meg gonna' see one another?" Ray looked irritated. "I don't know. I mean...yeah." She smiled up at him. "Good. It's about time!" "Don't even try anything Frannie!" "Geez, calm down Ray! I'm not. You'll do whatever you want with Meg, I'm sure. But don't forget...if you need any help with the sex parts, I'm sure that Benton could give you some pointers."

Ray shouted at her. "Can't you ever be nice?! Do you always have to be so vulgar?!" She snickered. "Yeah. I'll be nice at yours and Meg's wedding." "God damn it Frannie!" She felt Fraser jerk awake behind her. *Uh oh.* Twisting around, she was saw an obviously irritated face looking at her. Biting her lip she tried to not laugh. Fraser looked like Angelo when he woke up cranky from one of his naps.

"Francesca, what's wrong?" "Nothing." He cast a bleary eyed look up at Ray. "Ray?" "Uh...nothins' wrong Benny. I just came down here to get you two up. You need to go sleep in the guest room. The kids will be down here soon and I think they'll want to watch the parades on the television." "Oh." He continued looking at Ray. Francesca could see that Fraser knew that they were both lying to him. He rubbed at his eyes and then he looked at Ray again. "Could you please leave the room so that we may get dressed." "Uh, sure Benny. I'll see you two later when you get up."

As Ray left the den, Fraser sat up and rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "Francesca, why do you tease Ray so much?" "I've told you why before. It's fun. He's my brother. I'm supposed to torment him." He gave her a disapproving look. Francesca stood up and pulled her jeans and sweater on, tossing Fraser's clothes onto the sofa. "Do you want to get a shower before we go to bed?" "We?" "Yes Benton. We. I'm not sleeping in a different room. It's stupid." He sighed. "Yes please, I would like a shower. I feel sticky and oily."

She grinned down at him and ruffled his hair. "You should feel rather crusty. We had fun." That drew a small smile from him as he pulled his jeans on. "Did you like the few goodies we used?" He smiled again. "I like the cinnamon." "I thought so. You really got into it. Wait until we try the other stuff that I bought." "You have more?" "I told you I spent alot of money at that party. Our honeymoon is gonna' be fun! Let's just hope that the room we're in is soundproof."

They cleaned up the den and folded the sheets, then they quietly went up to the bathroom. Showering together, they took turns scrubbing each other s backs. Francesca began to slowly run her hands over Fraser butt. "So...Benton...do you wanna' do something while we're here?" His answer surprised her. "No, I'm tired Francesca. All I want to do is get dried off and go to bed."

"You're tuning me down?" She grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to face her, the water splashing against them both. "I am exhausted Francesca. I can barely keep my eyes open and you expect me to...perform?" Looking down at him she smiled. "Well...it sure seems like 'he' wants to do something." Fraser looked down at himself and blushed slightly at his semi-erect state. "He may be awake, but I am not."

She reached down and grasped him and slowly began to pull at him. "Are you sure?" Fraser closed his eyes and leaned his body against hers, as he brushed her hand away. "Francesca please...I'm tired." "So. You don't have to do anything. I'll take care of you and then we can go to bed." His answer was for him to embrace her tightly as he tucked his head against her shoulder. Running her hands along his back she could feel his weight growing heavier against her. "Benton." "Hum?" "You really are tired aren't you? "Um hum."

Turning the water off she stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel. Fraser stepped out of the tub and stood still, dripping water onto the floor. She watched him as he slowly toweled off and then he almost fell over as he reached for his clothes. "Don't bother getting dressed Benton, Just wrap the towel around you." He did as she instructed. Flipping the lid to the toilet down she made him sit while she towel dried his hair. Stepping back she giggled. "God you look like a wet puppy." "Hum?" "Forget it. Let's go to bed."

She took his hand and walked to the bathroom door. Peeking out she saw that the hall was empty. "All clear. Let's go." Pulling him by the hand she led him to her bedroom. *I am not sleeping in the guest room. That bed is as hard as a rock!* Pulling the comforter back, she removed the towel from Fraser's waist and pushed him into bed. Once she had him covered, she went and adjusted the blinds. The room was nice and dark. Removing her own towel she slid into bed and curled up against him. Fraser was already sound asleep and within minutes so was she. 

 

She awoke again and rolled over to look at the clock next to her bed. Blinking she looked again. *Twelve-thirty? Damn.* Sitting up she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. *I can't believe I've slept half the day away.* Looking down at Fraser, she smiled. He was still sound asleep. His face relaxed, his lips slightly parted. His hair that had been damp when they went to bed was all curly and tangled. He looked like a cherub. A very large cherub.

Smothering a laugh at his image, Francesca ran a finger down his nose, traced a path over his lips and then down his neck. Laying back down she curled against him, resting a hand on his chest. She watched him as he breathed. Felt the steady rhythm of his heart. It was times like these that she couldn't believe that she and Fraser were getting married. All the chasing and waiting and then everything happened so fast.

With a smile she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He still didn't move. Francesca pushed Fraser on the shoulder. Snickering, she reached down to fondle him, expecting to find him soft and flaccid. She grinned evilly when she encounter an erection. *What do the guys call it. A piss woody?* She began to slowly stroke his length, watching him fidget in his sleep. Releasing him she pulled back the comforter. Sitting up she looked down at him.

She felt a little guilty for what she had done, but seeing him lying there, looking so innocent, but with an erection that was begging to be touched was too much. With a stifled laugh she grasped him once more and began to pull and tug at him in earnest. The more she stroked him, the more he began to fidget and when he moaned in his sleep, she had to choke back her laughter. She could feel him growing tighter and knew that he was almost ready. Grasping him tightly she pulled at him again, bursting out in laughter as he came.

At that instant Fraser's eyes popped open. She could tell that he was slightly disoriented. *Nice way to wake up isn't it Benton?* She continued tugging at him, pleased when he jerked and pushed her hands away. His obviously irritated voice took on the whiny tone that she had found he used when he was woken from a deep sleep. He quickly sat up and blinked several times. Looking around the room his gaze finally settled on her. *Uh oh.*

"Francesca, why? Why can't you leave me alone?" He squinted at her slightly and she was surprised to see a touch of anger in his eyes. Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled at him. "It's not my fault you were like that. I woke up and found that 'thing' staring at me. So I took care of it." Fraser pressed his hands against himself. "It's because I have to pee. From now on when you see me like this in the morning and I am asleep...keep your hands to yourself."

He moved to the side of the bed and sat up with his back to her. She watched as he took a deep breath and then stood up. Grabbing a tissue from the drawer next to the bed he quickly cleaned himself off. Looking down at the floor he found his boxers and yanked them on. Walking over to the door he opened it, looked cautiously out into the hall and then he left. She could hear his footsteps heading towards the bathroom.

Getting out of bed, Francesca straightened the sheets and the comforter. By the time she had put on her underwear, Fraser came back to the bedroom. His hair was wet and it looked as if he had combed his fingers though it. He ignored her as he got dressed. *Oh boy. Nice way to start the day Frannie.* Benton?" He yanked his sweater on. "Come on Benton. I was only having a little fun. Please don't stay mad at me all day." He paused as he laced his boots. Sighing he finally looked up at her. "I'm not mad at you Francesca, I'm...just don't do that to me again." "Don't touch you again or don't do specifically what I just did to you?"

"Francesca..." He finished lacing his boots and stood up, watching her get dressed. Running a brush through her hair she smiled sweetly at him. He cocked his head to the side and a sly smile appeared. "What Benton?" "Nothing." "No, don't say nothing. You're up to something. I know that look of yours." "No...it's 'nothing'." She grinned up at him. "I guess I should be on alert status the rest of the day. You're gonna' do something to get me back aren't you?" He shrugged his shoulders at her and smiled. "That's not funny Benton. What are you going to do?" "When I do it, you will know."

Crossing her arms, Francesca looked up at him. "I'm gonna' tell Ray." Fraser crossed his arms and stared down at her. "And what may I ask are you going to tell him? That you sexually accosted me while I was sleeping." Shaking his head no, he laughed at her. "You'll say nothing to Ray because he'll only get mad at you, not me." She pouted. "This isn't fair!" "And doing what you did to me was? No Francesca. You need to be taught a lesson. I may do it today. I may do it tomorrow. Maybe it will not happen until next week. Prepare yourself."

Laughing at her, Fraser walked out of the bedroom with Francesca running down the hall to follow him. "You...you can't do this to me!" "Do what Francesca?" Fraser practically skipped down the stairs, looking at her he grinned. "I have done nothing to you...yet." He went into the kitchen with Francesca following on his heals. "Damn it Benton..." Her voice trailed off when she saw that the entire family was standing around the kitchen table preparing their lunches.

Fraser smiled at everyone. "Good afternoon and Happy New Year." Ray looked at the two of them. Fraser looked happy as hell and Francesca had a panicked expression on her face. *Geez...what in the hell is goin' on with those two?* "Mornin' Benny. Happy New Year to you too. Good morning Frannie." Francesca ignored Ray and walked up to Fraser. "Benton..." Her voice trailed off again as she noticed everyone was staring at them. "Yes Francesca?" She wanted to reach up and slap the smile right off of his face. "Nothing."

She snatched a plate up and began putting a sandwich together. Glancing over at Fraser she saw that all he had was a cup of tea. "Benton, come and get something to eat." "I'm not hungry." She set her plate down loudly. "I said come get something to eat. We aren't eating dinner until after six tonight." "And I said that I am not hungry Francesca. I will eat when I am hungry, not because everyone else is having something." "Damn it Benton, you haven't eaten anything since last night! You have to be hungry. Come and get something."

He again regarded her, his eyes slightly narrowed. "No, I will not come over and 'get' something Francesca. I believe that I can judge as to whether or not I need to eat." She snatched her plate up and angrily continued fixing her sandwich. "Fine. Starve yourself. See if I care." "I'll be back later. I'm going to go out running." Francesca's head snapped up. "You're going running?" He looked calmly back at her. "Yes." "You haven't eaten, it's freezing outside and you're gonna' go out in the street and run?" "Yes." She gritted her teeth. "Do whatever you want Benton, I don't care."

Turning away from him, she took a fork from the table and stabbed at some pickles. She could hear Fraser leaving the room. Ray came over to her. "Frannie, what's going on with you two?" "Nothing." "That was not nothing Frannie. What happened?" She opened her mouth to tell Ray what she did, but she quickly shut it. "Nothing happened. Well, something did, but I'm not gonna' tell you." Ray started smiling at her. "You did something to him and now he's gonna' make your life a living hell. Yes there is a God!"

Francesca glared at Ray. "How do you know 'I' did something to him? What if 'he' did something to me?" "Nope. He wouldn't be ignorant to you. Benny's not like that. But what I do know is, if you pissed him off, he won't tell you. He'll just make you feel like a total piece of shit. The only way you're gonna' get things straight is to beg his forgiveness. Or grovel with some really good apology." "It wasn't like that Ray. I..." "You what Frannie?" "I can't tell you what I did. He would get mad at me." "Oh really? Did he say he would get mad at you?" "No. But he...well..." "Come on Frannie. Tell me." "Well...Benton said he's gonna' get me back for what I did."

Ray began to laugh hysterically. "It's not funny Ray!" Francesca looked at Maria and Tony who were both laughing at her. Even her mother had a smile on her face. "It's not funny!" Ray wiped the tears from his face. "Oh yes it is! Benny said he's gonna' get back at you? I can't wait!" Francesca looked worriedly at Ray. "Why? Did he ever do anything to get back at you?" "Oh yeah!" "What did he do?" "I can not 'wait' to see what he does to you! This is gonna' be great! I hope the hell he does it when I'm around." 'Ray! What did Benton do to you?!" He ignored her and only laughed harder. Pulling a chair out from the table, Francesca sat down. *Shit! What in the hell is he gonna' do to me?!* 

 

Francesca ate her lunch in silence. Sitting at the table she stared at her plate. *Why does he have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't he have just had a sandwich?* "Frannie?" She looked up to see Maria pulling a chair next to her. "What did you do to him?" Francesca bit her lip. Should she tell Maria? Fraser didn't like it when she told her sister about their sex life. But this was different. Wasn't it?

"Well..." Maria noticed Francesca's reluctance and felt slightly irritated. "Oh come on Frannie! I'm your sister. If you and Benton are having problems you can tell me." She lowered her voice. "Or you could go and tell Ma." "No!" She covered her hand over her mouth. She had yelled it out and now everyone in the room was looking at her. Lowing her voice she answered Maria. "Let's go to my room and I'll tell you." "O.K."

They pushed back their chairs and took their plates of food out of the kitchen. Walking up the stairs Maria started talking again. "He told you to stop telling me about you two didn't he?" "Yeah. He got kinda' upset when I told him, that I told you everything about us." "I hate to disagree with him, but if you can't talk to me, who can you talk to Frannie? I think Benton is expecting too much. He shouldn't be stopping you from talking to me about stuff. We've always told each other everything." "Yeah, I know. But you should have seen how upset he was Maria. He almost started crying!"

They went into Francesca's room and Maria locked the door behind them. "Just in case Ray decides he wants in." Smiling she sat down on the end of the bed as Francesca settled her back against the headboard. Picking up a chip Maria grinned at Francesca. "What did you do to Benton?" Francesca tried not smiling, but she failed completely. She started laughing. "I'm sorry. I know that he thought it wasn't funny, but it was. You should have seen his face!" Maria grinned at her. "What did you do?!"

Francesca looked down at the comforter, running her hand along it. "Well..." "Frannie!" "O.K. O.K." Taking a deep breath, she burst out into giggles. When she finally settled down she saw that Maria was staring at her. "All right. He was asleep and I was just rubbing his chest and looking at him. You know. And I decided to go and do a little more touching. I mean it's not my fault he was like that! How was I to know he'd have one?"

Maria started smiling, shaking her head knowingly. "He had a morning erection. Tony gets them all the time. He has to go pee he always says." Maria snorted. "I think that's just an excuse. Men are always getting hard for no reason." "Well, I decided to do something about it. And I've told you how deeply Benton sleeps so..." Maria's mouth dropped open. "You did not! You had sex with him? While he was asleep?!"

Francesca stared at her sister in shock. "Give me some credit Maria! Geez! I'm not some perv. I didn't have sex with him. I...jerked him off. He didn't wake up until he came. And oh my God, you should have seen the look on his face!" Francesca started laughing again and Maria joined in. When they finally settled down Maria giggled as she talked. "You did that to him? While he was asleep? God Frannie! You're lucky he didn't hit you when he woke up!"

She made a face at Maria. "He would never hit me, no matter what. But yeah I did it. And he got mad at me." "God Frannie! I can see why. All I ever did is grab Tony when he was like that and got pissy with me." "You mean you've never...?" "Hell no! I mean how would you like it if you woke up in the morning and found Benton with his fingers stuck in you. And you had to pee really bad. Wouldn't you get mad at him?" "Yeah...I guess."

"Frannie, I know you love to play with him and tease him, but you have to remember, Benton isn't use to all of this. Christ Frannie! He probably isn't use to anyone touching him as much as you do. You're all over him. Every time he comes near you, you have your hands on him." "I can't help it Maria. I mean, I waited so long to do it. And he...well he feels so nice and he smells so good. I can't help myself." Francesca smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "He's gonna' have to get use to it." "Maybe you should try and restrain yourself a bit. At least in front of everyone else." "Geez Maria! You're starting to sound like Ray!"

She picked at the remainder of her sandwich. "You really think I paw Benton?" "You don't exactly paw him. You just...well...yeah Frannie. You paw him." "Oh. I didn't know." "Look. When Benton comes back after his run, just try and keep off of him. Maybe he'll appreciate it more when you're in private." She smiled. "And whatever you do, don't ever do that to him again. At least when he's asleep. I think he'd like it more when he's awake." "Thanks Maria. I'm sure Benton would like to know that you think I should jerk him off only when he's awake." The two sisters looked at each other and burst out into laughter. 

 

For the next two and a half hours Francesca wandered around the house doing odd chores. Folding the laundry and generally trying to keep herself busy. She never realized how much of her free time was spent with Fraser. Without him there she felt...alone. It wasn't something she was use to feeling. Having grown up with a house full of people, she had never felt that way before. It was a feeling she didn't like.

Walking into the den, she flopped down on the sofa in her usual spot. Looking at the empty space next to her, she sighed. For the next half hour she sat quietly watching the football game. Looking at her watch she began getting worried. *He's been gone for three hours now. What if he got hit by a car?* Tucking her feet underneath her, she shivered. *Don't even think that Frannie. He's fine. He's out running or whatever. He's probably pouting somewhere.*

Ray and Tony were in the den as well and they would occasionally shout or pound their fists on the arms of their chairs, cheering on their team, causing Francesca to flinch. *This is so stupid! Why can't we watch a movie or something? And why can't they turn it down? I hate football!*

Closing her eyes she leaned her head back, trying her best to not yell at them to shut up. She jumped in surprise when she felt a light touch on her knee. "Francesca, are you feeling unwell?" Fraser sat down beside her on the sofa, looking at her with a worried expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." *Nice lie Frannie.* She knew by the way he was looking at her, he didn't believe what she had said.

"You were gone for a long time Benton." "I told you I was going for a run. And then I needed to get a shower." "And that took you three hours? Just how far did you run?" "Ten miles." Francesca shook her head. "You're nuts. Someone's going to run you down in the street someday." He leaned back against the sofa and stared at the television. She knew that he wasn't watching the game, he was thinking.

Looking Fraser over she knew that he wasn't lying to her. He didn't lie period. She mentally snickered. *Unless it's to Angelo about hickies.* He had changed into a new pair of jeans and he had on a white henley with a blue flannel shirt over it. She suppressed another smile as she looked at his face. His cheeks were tinged a healthy pink from the cold and exertion. His hair was still wet and curled slightly. He smelled like ice and snow with a faint tinge of soap and his face was freshly shaved.

She started to reach out a hand to caress his cheek, to feel it's smoothness, when she quickly put her hand back in her lap. Maria said she pawed Fraser constantly and here she was getting ready to do it again. Maybe he did get annoyed by all of her touching and grabbing. She had never realized how much she touched him until Maria pointed it out to her. Ray saying it was one thing. He couldn't stand seeing them even hold hands with each other. But Maria pointing it out...she had to be telling the truth.

After a few minutes she began to fidget. Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands tightly in her lap. *I won't paw him!* She caught Fraser looking at her. His expression was sad, almost as if she had done something to hurt him. He moved to take her hand, but she wouldn't take his. *He's just doing it because I expect him too. He's probably tired of me grabbing him all the time.* He gave her a curious look and then moved closer so that he was sitting tightly against her.

Leaning over he whispered in her ear. "Are you still angry with me for not eating lunch?" He stared back at her questioningly. *He thinks I'm mad at him for not eating lunch. So much for what Maria knowing what she's talking about.* Francesca picked up Fraser's arm and leaned against him as she brought his arm back down around her waist. Resting her head against his chest she hugged him. He sat stiffly at first, but then she felt him slowly relax. Talking softly to him, she stared at the television. "I'm not really mad, but why couldn't you just eat lunch with me? What's the big deal?"

He sighed, his chest gently rising beneath her. "Francesca, I wasn't hungry." "You had to have been. You haven't eaten anything since last night." The more they talked the louder their voices got, especially Francesca's. "We ate dinner after nine. I wasn't hungry. Why should I eat when I'm not hungry?" His voice had a slight touch of irritation to it. To Francesca that meant he was getting angry with her. That he thought she was being foolish. She could feel him tensing up beneath her again.

"O.K.! Relax! God, don't get so worked up over it!" "I'm not the one getting worked up Francesca. I wasn't the one cursing in the kitchen." She pulled away from him and sat up. All he did was look back at her waiting for her to remember. *When did I curse at him? Oh....* "Sorry, I didn't mean to curse at you, but you make me so angry sometimes. You're so stubborn!" He smiled at her, which pissed her off. *He thinks I'm being ridiculous!*

"Francesca, I wouldn't define not eating as being stubborn. It's called common sense. I eat when I'm hungry, not because someone expects me to eat." She clenched her fists. *So I don't have any common sense do I?* "I give up! You can never admit that you're wrong! Oh no, I am a Mountie! I'm always right!" She watched his face as his irritation finally began to show itself. "Francesca, how can I be wrong about myself? I didn't need to eat." "Whatever Benton! Starve yourself, see if I care!" She got up and walked out of the den in a huff, leaving Fraser sitting on the sofa by himself.

He sat quietly for a few minutes trying to calm himself down. *Do not go and yell at her. It won't do anything except hurt her feelings. Calm down and then go and discuss this with her rationally.* He snorted. Rational discussion with Francesca didn't work. He would have to figure out a way to appease her without saying he was wrong for not eating. *I wasn't hungry! Why should I go and eat when I'm not hungry!* He felt himself starting to tense up and had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down again.

Tugging at his earlobe he finally stood up to follow her. "Benny." "Yes Ray." "Sit back down." "Why?" "If you go and follow her now, she'll get angry at you and then she'll start to yell. Loudly. And you'll find yourself without." "Without what Ray?" "Without 'any'." "Pardon?" Tony spoke up. "You won't get any sex for a while Fraser. She'll cut your supply off." Ray tried unsuccessfully to not laugh, but the embarrassment on Fraser's face was too much. He was bright red and he now looked down at the floor instead of at either one of them.

When he spoke Ray could hear the embarrassment in his voice as well. "That doesn't really matter." He looked back at Ray, still red as a beet. "Ray she's being difficult." "Hey that's Frannie. You knew that she was a handful before you got involved with her." He slowly nodded his head yes. "But that doesn't mean we can't discuss things together reasonably." Ray and Tony both started laughing loudly.

Tony shook his head. "Fraser you have no idea. Frannie has a really bad temper, but she hasn't used it on 'you' yet." Fraser thought for a second. Yes he did know she had a bad temper, but he also knew that she would never use it against him. "I don't think that she will ever treat me the way she would treat anyone else Tony." "Yeah? Why not?" *Because she loves me.* "Because..." "Because why?" He could feel the heat of his blush returning to his face.

"Benny, just sit back down. Let Frannie cool off first." He almost sat back down, but his instincts said other wise. He knew by experience that if he kept Francesca waiting too long, she 'would' get angry with him. Without another word, Fraser walked out of the den in search of her. Tony looked over at Ray and smiled. "Damn! He's whipped!" Ray chuckled. "Yeah, Frannie has him wrapped pretty tight." "Shit Ray, she has him right by the balls!" The two of them laughed loudly and went back to watching the game. 

 

Walking into the kitchen he saw only Maria standing over by the table making the crust for a pie. As he turned to leave the room, she stopped him. "Benton, Frannie's out on the porch." "Thank you kindly Maria." Fraser walked out onto the porch closing the door on Maria's reply to him. "Hey shouldn't you...wear a coat?" *I wonder what Frannie's mad about this time?* Shaking her head, Maria went back to making her pie.

Francesca heard the soft click of the door shutting. *I knew he'd follow me!* Fraser came and stood slightly behind her, slowly shuffling his feet, kicking lightly at some ice on the wooden floor boards. She ignored him, waiting to see what he had to say. "Francesca..." He paused and toed another piece of ice sending it skittering into the yard. See saw his arm reach above her and snap a large icicle off of the porch roof. *What the?!*

She turned to look at Fraser. He was holding the icicle in his hands, staring at it. But what angered her was the fact that he stood on the porch in the freezing cold, without a coat on. All he wore were the henley and flannel shirt. "What is the matter with you?!" She yelled at him, snatching the icicle from his hand and threw it out into the yard. He stared at her dumbfounded. "Francesca I..." "God, you can be so 'stupid' sometimes!"

She grabbed him by the shirt sleeve and pulled him into the kitchen. "Francesca..." "Sit down." "But..." "I said sit down!" Fraser cautiously pulled a chair out and sat down at the table. "Frannie?" Francesca ignored Maria, taking her coat off she threw it across a chair. Fraser silently watched Francesca as she stomped around the kitchen, roughly grabbing things, slamming cabinets and cooking something on the stove. Before he knew it, a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows was placed before him and a sandwich on a plate was slid in front of him.

Standing above Fraser, she glared at him. "Don't you 'ever' go outside in this kind of weather again without a coat on. Do you want to get sick or something?" "Francesca, I won't get sick. I'm use to this kind of weather." She mimicked Fraser using a whiny voice. "I won't get sick, I'm use to this kind of weather." She spoke in a normal tone, but there was a snap to it. "When were you in the Yukon lately Benton?" He looked back at her calmly. "I'm from the Northwest Territories Francesca."

She wanted to reach out and grab Fraser by the front of his shirt and shake him. She hated it when he corrected her, when she knew that he understood what she meant. "Yukon, Territories...whatever! They're all nothing but big piles of snow! When did you live there?" She placed her hands on her hips as she continued glaring at him. Fraser suppressed a smile. He loved watching the way Francesca's eyes glittered when she was angry. He didn't like her anger, but there was something about the way she looked now that made him want to reach up and kiss her when she got like this.

"It has been over two years since I have lived..." She cut him off again. "Then you are 'not' use to the cold anymore Benton. You 'live' in Chicago, not Tuckamuktuck, Canada. From now on wear a coat when you go outside. I'm not going to play mom with you if you get sick from being stupid." "It's Tuktoyaktuk." "Huh?" "You said Tuckamuktuck. I lived in Tuktoyaktuk at one time." She stared back at him, her face growing slightly red.

She was livid. Yelling at him about not wearing a coat. Actually he felt quite comfortable when he had been out on the porch with her. The cold, crisp air made him feel at home. He couldn't help it if he were different from them. He looked back at her and smiled slightly. "Yes Francesca, I'll wear my coat from now on when I go outside. Am I required to wear my mittens as well?" "What?" Fraser didn't repeat himself. Picking up the mug, he took a sip of the cocoa. "Thank you kindly for the hot chocolate." "Uh...you're welcome."

Maria looked at Fraser and started laughing. "Don't forget your thermals and your hat." Fraser smiled back at her over the mug. "I won't." Francesca looked first at Maria and then at Fraser. "You think this is all funny don't you?" She walked over to Fraser and poked him sharply in the chest as she spoke. "You don't take care of yourself, Benton! You go outside without a coat, you don't eat right, you don't get enough sleep (Fraser raised his eyebrows at that comment) and God knows what you do when you're out running around with Ray!"

Fraser gently took her hand and kissed the finger that she was poking him with. Releasing her hand he smiled up at her. "Stop it! Acting cute isn't going to get you out of this!" Maria snickered. "Maybe you should take her upstairs Benton. That would distract her." Fraser tucked his head down, blushing, but Francesca heard a soft chuckle coming from him. "Benton, I'm serious. You don't take care of yourself!" "Then you will have to do it for me."

He lifted the bread of his sandwich up and smiled. Mustard, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese and salami. His favorite. "Thank you for the sandwich Francesca, but do you think I should be eating this? Dinner is only a few hours away." "If I didn't want you to eat it, I wouldn't have made it for you." As she went back and cleaned up the counter, Fraser ate his sandwich in silence, watching her move around the kitchen once more. Maria watched Fraser, as he watched her sister and grinned. She wished that Tony would look at her that way. Letting her eyes trail over Fraser's face she mentally laughed. *Who am I kidding? I wish Tony 'were' him.* 

 

The moment Fraser finished his sandwich and cocoa, Francesca took his plate and mug and set them in the sink. She held her hand out to him. Standing he took it and followed her silently out of the kitchen. As soon as they entered the foyer she let go of his hand and glared at him. "I'm serious Benton. I'm not playing around. You don't take care of yourself." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled slightly. "I will try to in the future."

"You know...forget it! You're being an ass. Why don't you go home! I'm not in the mood for this shit!" Fraser looked at her retreating figure in confusion. He watched as she ran up the stairs and he heard the slamming of her bedroom door. He stared at the now empty stairway, trying to figure out how he had caused Francesca to be so angry with him. He didn't think that his teasing had been all that bad. With a sigh, he put his coat and stetson on and left the house. 

 

She sat on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. She had no idea why she had gotten so angry with Fraser. It had all started with her playing with him in the morning and it had been all down hill from there. His not eating had irritated her. His not wearing a coat had set her off. And then when he had teased her...well she was the one who wanted him to loosen up. And now that he was picking back at her, it hurt her feelings.

She sat stiffly on the bed. It was like a light bulb went off in her head. *That's it!* Closing her eyes she laughed at herself. "I am such an idiot." *Well I might as well go back downstairs and apologize to him. This is all my fault.* She was the one who wanted Fraser to learn how to play and tease and when he finally did it...to her...she hadn't been prepared for it. Having Ray or Maria torment her was one thing. But to have the shy, quiet person named Benton Fraser do it was another.

Rolling off the bed she threw the pillow down and walked out of her room. Going into the den, she found only Tony and Ray. Heading into the kitchen, she saw Maria putting a pie into the oven. "Have you seen Benton?" "Not since you ripped him apart I haven't." "I didn't 'rip' him apart." "Ya' know Frannie, he left after you yelled at him in the hall. You need to start being nicer to him or he'll leave you for good." "Oh be for real Maria. I wasn't that bad. And he won't ever leave me. What's the matter with you anyway, you sound just like Ray." "And you crab at him, just like Ray."

Francesca bit back a nasty reply and picked up the phone to call Fraser's house. As it rang she tapped her fingernails on the wall. "Answer the phone!" After the tenth ring, she slammed the received down. "Whoa! Just because you're mad at him, it doesn't mean you need to break the phone! If you're so hot to yell at him again, why don't you go to his house and do it!" Maria grabbed a spoon and began angrily stirring something in a bowl.

Francesca could see that her sister was livid with her. Trying to lighten things up a bit she looked over at what she was doing. "What are you making?" "Pumpkin pies, now get out of here." "Geez Maria! Thanks alot." Maria cracked the spoon against the table causing Francesca to flinch. "Oh grow up Frannie! You have no idea how good you have it. I'm tired of watching you pick at him. Either you start treating him better or go ahead and tell him it's over."

"Over?! Who said anything about me not wanting him?" Maria opened her mouth to snap out a reply, but she quickly shut it. Taking a deep breath she glared at Francesca. "No, this time I'm going to stay out of it. You can do one of two things Frannie. Go over and apologize to him for the way you've been treating him or you can tell him you're done with him. Take your pick." She looked at Maria in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She stared at Maria waiting for an answer, but the only thing her sister did was pour the pumpkin mix from the bowel into the pie crust she had made. "Maria?" "Get out Frannie, I'm busy." "But..." "Out!" Maria pointed a flour covered hand at the kitchen doorway. "Damn, what's up your ass?!" Francesca yanked her coat from the chair that she had thrown it on earlier and stomped out of the kitchen.

Pulling her coat on she walked into the foyer. She could hear Ray and Tony cheering in the den. Looking over at the door she saw Diefenbaker calmly staring at her. "Are you going home with me?" He barked and ran around her legs. Reaching a hand down, she ran it through his thick fur. "Do you think I'm being too mean to Benton?" His small whine gave her the honest answer she was looking for. "Damn."

Tony walked through the foyer heading for the kitchen. "Hey Frannie, where you going?" "To see Benton." "Yeah? Where'd he go?" "Home." "Why?" "Just because." "Oh...O.K." Tony walked into the kitchen, his voice loud enough for Francesca to hear him in the foyer. "Hey babe, what's for dinner?" She could hear her sisters mumbled reply. "Hey that's good. You think maybe you could make some extra gravy? There wasn't any left from last night." Francesca watched Tony lumber through the hall and back into the den, with a beer and a bag of chips in his hands.

She cautiously approached the kitchen entrance and looked in. Maria was sitting at the table with her head resting in her hands. Now she knew why her sister was so mad at her. Fraser never made demands. He always helped her with everything. A kiss or a hug from him was so common that she took them for granted. Except for New Years Eve she never really saw her sister and brother-in-law show each other much affection. All she ever saw was Maria working around the house, taking care of everything.

It was all clear now to Francesca. Her sister was angry at her because of the way she treated him at times. He was everything that she could want and she was taking him for granted. Just like Tony took Maria for granted. She thought about going in and talking to Maria, but she knew that her sister would only get angry right now and deny everything. Maybe later when things settled down some she would have a good talk with her.

Turning back she walked over to the door and looked down at Diefenbaker. "I guess I need to go and say I'm sorry to Benton. Maybe later we can all go for a walk in the park. Would you like that?" He jumped up and put his paws on her chest, licking at her face. Ruffling his ears, she let him drop back down to the floor. "Let's go Dief." Opening the door they headed out to Fraser's house. 

 

There was a light snow falling and the air was still. She listened to the muffled noise of her boots sinking into the snow. They were her first 'real' pair of winter boots. Fraser had surprised her two weeks before Christmas with scaled down versions of his own boots. Francesca had complained loudly about his buying them for her, but he had insisted that she keep them. "I'm not going to have your toes get frost bitten."

Little did he know at the time, she had never ventured out to play in the snow since she was a little kid. Until he came along. Before Fraser, snow meant getting cold and wet. It meant scraping ice from windshields and shoveling sidewalks. Now when it snowed, it meant it was time to play. Building snowmen and making snow angels. Chasing each other around the yard and tossing snow balls at moving targets. With Fraser in her life, winter was no longer a group of months that were dark and gray. With Fraser those months became adventures that glittered like diamonds and looked like marshmallow.

She had stopped walking and was staring out into space while she thought, until Diefenbaker ran up and grabbed her gloved hand in his mouth. He jerked her out of her revere Bouncing away he flopped his front paws in the snow, his tail end in the air. Dief apparently noticed her change in moods and now he too was ready to play. With a laugh, she reached out to grab him. Dief jumped away, barking and ran down the road with Francesca hot on his heels.

Jogging lightly, she slowed to a walk as she neared Fraser's house. "Dief." She waved her arms wildly, hoping to catch his attention before he jumped up on the front door. She saw him pounce as he stopped, staring back at her with his head cocked to the side. When she put her finger up to her lips in a silencing gesture, Dief grinned a wolf's grin, hunkering down in the snow. He smoothly stalked his way to the door and waited for Francesca to walk up next to him.

She heard music playing in the tiny home and for Fraser it was quite loud. She found out later from Ray, that it was a classical piece called Eia Mater. Slowly cracking the door open, she peeked into the living room and covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Quickly scooping a handful of snow up, she packed it into a snowball as she stood watching Fraser. He was standing in front of a stereo system, the box and it's wrappings were strewn across the floor at his feet. He was singing along with the music and was doing a pretty good job of it too.

He suddenly stopped singing, but the music continued to blare from the speakers. She knew that he had sensed a presence. Before he could turn around, she flung the door open and screamed out his name. "Benton!" Fraser twisted and jumped into a defensive crouch, his eyes staring at her like...Dief. She looked back at him shocked by his entire demeanor. He stood slowly, giving her a sheepish look. Moving towards the stereo he turned the volume down.

Keeping one hand behind her back, she walked towards him. "What's all of this?" Clearing his throat he began to pick up the trash as he talked to her. "I decide to purchase a stereo system for the house. I know how much you like to listen to your cd's...and while I was there I found a few that I liked." "I guess this is one of them?" "Yes."

He looked at her obviously embarrassed at his reaction to her sneak attack and also for getting caught singing with the music playing loudly. "You're a really good singer Benton. I think you should go back with the choir on Sundays." He blushed slightly at her compliment and looked at the floor once more. She stepped up to him. "I have something for you." He cautiously looked up at her. She could tell that he was still nervous and tense. *Don't smile Frannie.*

Reaching a hand out, she pulled his henley back by the collar and dumped the snow that she held in her hand down his shirt. She pushed him hard in the chest, successfully squishing it against him. Leaping back from Fraser, she started laughing as he yanked his shirt out of his jeans and let the snow drop to the floor. Pointing at him, Francesca yelled between her laughter. "You should...see your face!" He cocked his head to the side and stared back at her, a smile slowly spreading across his face, his eyes narrowed. *Uh oh! He looks like Dief again.* He took a step towards her.

"No Benton! Don't you dare!" She took off through the front door running into the yard, with Fraser only a step behind her. She could hear Diefenbaker barking loudly. Within seconds she found herself on her back in the snow with Fraser kneeling over her. His hands pinned her arms above her, as he straddled her body. The smile on his face faded as she spoke to him.

"Excuse me, Benton. but where's your coat?" "Oh." He released her arms and rested his hands on his thighs as he looked down at her. "I'm sorry. I forgot." The snow drifted gently around them and she watched his breath come out in small puffs of steam in the frigid air, his expression apprehensive. She knew in an instant that her sister, Maria was right. She was too hard on Fraser. He took every word she said to him, to heart.

Reaching both hands up, Francesca grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her, kissing him. At first he was stiff in his response to her, but like the snow he slowly melted against her heat. They deepened the kiss and she ran her hands around the back of his neck as she felt him slowly ease a hand into her coat. Before either of them knew what was happening, they felt a pile of snow being dumped on top of them.

They broke apart from each other, with Fraser rolling off to the side. Looking up they saw Mrs. Rizzo, holding a now empty snow shovel, glaring down at them. Her voice was haughty as she spoke to them. "In my day no woman would ever conduct herself in such a manner. I'm going to have a little talk with your mother Francesca." She turned her glare directly at Fraser, her voice now venomous. "And you! You need to be fixed!" Turning her back on them, she walked across the street and into her house, the door slamming loudly behind her.

Fraser stared across the street open mouthed and then he slowly turned to look at Francesca, his face red with embarrassment. "Did she say I needed to be...fixed?" Francesca looked at him and nodded her head yes, as she lay back in the snow, holding her sides. "Oh my God, Benton! She dumped snow on us!" Jerking up into a sitting position, she laughed even harder. "That's like two dogs getting a bucket of water thrown on them!" Fraser's face turned a deeper shade of red as he figure out the meaning of her statement.

Francesca could hardly breath, she was laughing so hard and it got worse when Fraser went to stand up. Diefenbaker had calmly observed the entire exchange and not once had he moved to stop the old woman. But now he charged into action. Rushing forward he plowed into Fraser, knocking him back into the snow. Francesca sat in the snow and watched as Fraser wrestled in with Diefenbaker, his embarrassment forgotten.

His laughter rang out as Dief bounced around and hit him repeatedly with his paws. She stared in amazement, when Diefenbaker rushed past Fraser's grasp and grabbed him by the throat. His teeth were bared, but she could see his gentle hold on the tender flesh of Fraser's neck. Dief could easily tear his throat out without even trying, but his grip was light and playful. Man and wolf regarded each other calmly and she swore she could see a slight smile on Fraser's lips.

Diefenbaker slowly released his hold on Fraser, licking him in the face and tucked his snout into his chest. Fraser reached around and hugged Dief to him, burying his face into the wolf's thick ruff. He gave him a slow rub behind the ears and she could hear Fraser speaking to Dief in a language she couldn't understand. Running a hand through his fur, he patted Dief once and then moved to stand up. He caught her watching them and gave Francesca a shy smile.

Walking over to her, he pulled Francesca up, hugging her to his chest. He quickly released his hold and back away from her, looking nervously across the street. "Oh don't worry about her, Benton. She's a dried up old bitch." "Francesca, that is so disrespectful." "And dumping snow on us like we're dogs doing it in the street isn't?" She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him back into the house. Dief trotted in and she shut the door. "I swear. you worry too much Benton." 

 

Looking Fraser over, she grinned evilly. "You were outside rolling around in the snow without a coat, you're soaking wet and I know you're freezing. What are you going to do about it?" "Take your coat off and I'll show you." "What?" "Take off your coat please." As she shrugged her way out of her heavy winter coat, Francesca looked warily at him. Not knowing what he had in mind made her a little apprehensive. It also sent a small shiver up her spine. Sometimes his little surprises ended up being rather nice.

She watched him walk over to the stereo, where he went through a small stack of CD's. Taking one out of it's plastic holder, he placed it into the player and turned back to her with a smile on his face. He held a hand out to her. "May I have this dance?" As soon as the music began to play she shook her head in amazement. "You remember...after all this time."

Taking his hand, she pulled Fraser to her and hugged him tightly. As they began to slowly dance around the room, Francesca thought back to that summer day over two years ago. They had first danced to this same song at a family picnic, at a time when she felt that she would never get to be with him. Resting her head on his damp shoulder, she smiled at how much things had changed since then.

Their cold bodies soon warmed as they moved together. The song faded and a new one took it's place, but she wasn't paying attention to it or to dancing anymore. She felt Fraser's now warmed hands, running across her back, his breath hot on her neck. He slowly kissed and nibbled a trail down her skin. Tilting her head back, she sighed in contentment. *This sure beats arguing.*

Bringing her hands up, she ran them through his thick hair, pulling his face to hers, kissing him passionately. She found herself slowly becoming lost with him. Reaching down, she grabbed his shirt and pulled it up and over his head, flinging it behind her shoulder. She could feel the smile on his lips as they kissed again. Hands from either dancing partner slowly undressed the other and their mutual striptease ended with them still dancing slowly together, their naked bodies intertwined.

The heat of his erection pressed against her stomach, throbbing and pulsing, but neither one of them wanted to ruin the feeling of comfort that the dance was bringing them. Letting her hand run leisurely down his back, Francesca squeezed Fraser's ass, hearing his soft throaty laugh as she kneaded his flesh. He whispered lightly in her ear, the amusement evident in his voice. "I know what you like best about me, Francesca. It's what you always go for first." Looking into his eyes she smiled at him. "You're wrong Benton. I like this even better."

She snaked her hand between them and gently stoked at the tip of his erection, his eyes closing at her touch. Grasping it, she felt him tighten in her hold. As their lips slowly met for another kiss...the phone rang. Both pairs of eyes popped open and they began to laugh, speaking at the same time. "Ray!" Fraser pushed her hand off of him and led Francesca into the kitchen where he answered the still ringing phone.

"Fraser residence, how may I...Yes Ray...Well yes, you were interrupting us. What? We were dancing. In the living room." As he talked, Francesca slowly kissed a path down his chest and stomach. She grinned up at Fraser who was smiling back down at her. Bringing her mouth to him, she licked at his length. And when she took him in her mouth, she mentally laughed at the conversation going on above her.

Fraser's voice was strained, his concentration on Ray totally gone. "No...no Ray...yeeessss...oh God yes...I mean...What?...No...I'm...Ray could you...yes...dinner...I...oh dear...no Ray! Uh..." He then spoke in a rapid one word sentence as he fumbled the phone, hanging it up. "YesRayIhavetogo!" He reached down and pulled Francesca up to him, the laughter in his eyes betraying the seriousness in his voice. "Don't do that to me again." When she cocked an eyebrow at Fraser, he added a hasty reply to his request. "While I'm on the phone."

She kissed him and sucked gently at his tongue. Pulling back she grinned as she ran her hand over his chest, pressing her body to his. "I can't wait to see Ray's face when we go back for dinner." Tracing a path over the scar on his collarbone, she grinned at Fraser once more. "So, can we finish our...dance." Her answer was for him to grabbed her hand and waltz her back to the living room.

He gently lowered Francesca to the hardwood floor. She smiled at Fraser as he leaned over her. "I guess this means yes?" He pushed away and walked over to a small sofa, tossing a blanket and some throw pillows on the floor. "I think we will need these. I don't want to have to explain any more bruises." She snickered and watched him walk across the room to where he had kicked off his jeans earlier, his erection bobbing in time to his step. Pulling his wallet out from his jeans, he tossed it next to her head, letting the jeans fall back to the floor. She snickered again.

"You know Benton. If someone were to come in this house right now, they would have no idea that you're a neat freak. This place is a mess!" Lowering himself to the floor next to Francesca, he curled his body around hers. Fraser let his eyes roam around the room and then they settled back on her. "You are correct, but I'm not a neat freak as you have so kindly put it. I believe that everything has it's proper place." Reaching a hand down she stroked his hardened length. "And where does this belong Constable?" He smiled playfully at her as he opened his wallet and removed a Lucky13. Rolling it on he then leaned over her. "I will file it in F...for Francesca."

He slid easily into her and as their bodies slowly rocked together, their kisses grew more passionate. Soft moans slowly increased in volume, until they echoed in the relatively empty room. Pushing her hips up to meet his demanding thrusts, Francesca could feel the delicious tingle of her orgasm beginning. As it's pulsing washed over her, she heard Fraser cry out her name, his fingers tightly gripping the pillow beneath her head. She knew that she was home, this was where she belonged and he was who she was meant to be with.

Fraser rested his forehead on her shoulder as he breathed heavy. Pulling out of her, he stripped the condom off and rolled to lay beside Francesca, pulling her into his embrace. They lay together listening to the music softly playing on the stereo. "Benton." "Hum?" "I love you." He nuzzled his face into her neck, whispering into her ear. "I love you too...always." Tucking her head against his chest, she sighed.

"You know we have to get going. If we're late for dinner, Ray will have a royal fit, especially since he knows what we're doing." Fraser smiled. "I would rather stay here and eat you for dinner." Francesca playfully elbowed him. "Oh we'll have plenty of time for that in the future...and eating dinner. We'll have the rest of our lives together." They kissed again and stood. Collecting their clothing, they headed upstairs to clean up and get changed. 

**********

They walked hand in hand down the road toward the Vecchio's house. Every now and then Francesca would look over at Fraser and grin. She caught him looking at her several times. Maria's little bit of shouting had finally convinced Francesca that she needed to lighten up. Well, Maria wanted light, she'd get it. In spades.

She burst out laughing when she caught Fraser looking at her again. "What?"

He tucked his head down as he walked. "Nothing."

Stepping in front of him, she blocked his path. "Oh no you don't. Tell me what you're thinkin'."

"Well...I don't want to ruin anything...I mean earlier you appeared quite angry with me. Then you came over and we...you know what we did. I don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why were you angry with me?"

She avoided his intense gaze by looking down at the ground, noticing for the first time how small her feet were compared to his. Their boots were identical, but his looked huge in comparison. "Well...did you ever notice how big your feet are?"

He looked confused for a moment, then looked down at his feet and then at hers. "You are avoiding my question Francesca. And no my feet are not big, they match my body proportionally." Cupping her chin in his hand, he brought her face up and looked into her eyes. Blue stared into brown waiting for an answer.

"It's stupid really."

He raised his eyebrows at her with that questioning expression of his that drove her nuts.

"Oh all right! I got pissed at you because you were teasin' me. I'm not use to you doin' it and I guess it bothered me."

"But you said I needed to..."

"Yes I know what I said, but it bothered me. I'm sorry."

She could see a look of guilt slowly come over his face. "No Francesca, I'm the one who should apologize. I knew that I was wrong to tease you. I hurt your feelings. I won't do it again." She grabbed at his sleeve and jerked it. "No! Don't even do that! I 'want' you to tease me. I want you to play Benton. I want you to let everything you've ever held back, come out." She poked him in the chest as she spoke. "Somewhere inside of you there's a little boy who's trapped. You need to let him out."

Fraser chuckled at her comment. "That is contrary to what Ray says about me. He's always comparing me to a child." "You know what I'm talking about. I saw that little boy about a half hour ago. He was in the front yard playing with Diefenbaker in the snow." "That's different." "No it's not. I want you to have fun. I want 'us' to have fun. You shouldn't be afraid to play with someone other than Dief. You've done it once or twice with Ray and that's about it. Start letting go of that tight assed control of yours."

At her comment Fraser's brow knitted in irritation. "Excuse me? Tight assed?" *Oh boy. Good job Frannie.* She changed the subject and she did it fast. "Carry me." "Pardon?" "I want a piggy back ride." She watched as he thought for a moment, then a smile slowly made it's way across his face as he turned his back to her. Looking over his shoulder he gave her a bigger smile. "I would prefer to be your horsy. I am a Mountie after all." She settled on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am not tight assed Francesca, I am reserved." She reached down and slapped his butt. "Nope, you have a tight ass." He shook his head and began carrying her down the street.

As they ambled down the walk, Francesca plucked Fraser's stetson off of his head and placed it on hers, but she quickly took it off, looking around self-consciously. Fraser had craned his head around, trying to look at what she was doing. "You took my hat and now you're not wearing it. Why?" "You're gonna' think I'm being silly." "No, I won't." "I can't wear a hat. My head's shaped funny." "Put it back on please." "No." "Please Francesca."

She slowly placed the stetson back on her head. Fraser grinned and she yanked it off, glaring at him. She whacked him on the head with the stetson. "Don't laugh at me! It's not funny." "I wasn't laughing at you Francesca. I think you looked cute with it on. Maybe would could find you one that would fit properly." She set his stetson back on his head. "No thank you Benton. I don't think I would look good in one." "I think you looked cute wearing a hat." "You're only saying that because you love me." "No I'm not saying..." "Don't argue with me. I'm not getting a hat."

As they continued on to the house, Fraser suddenly began to jog. "What are you doing?" He didn't answer her, but his jog turned into a run through the snow. She saw his destination directly ahead. A large patch of ice was in their path. "No! Don't!" Tightening her hold around his neck, she gripped his waist with her legs, tucking her head down on his shoulder as he hit the patch of ice. Instead of falling like she thought they would, they slid quickly across it's smooth surface.

Fraser jumped back into the snow and jogged to a stop. His excited voice cut through the silent cold air. "Let's do that again Francesca!" "No Benton! Put me down!" "Why? That was fun. You said you wanted us to have fun, this is the perfect opportunity to do so." She hit him in the shoulder yelling at him. "Put me down!" He released her legs and she slid down off his back. He was still smiling at her when he turned around.

"Come on Francesca. Try it." "No. You scared the shit out of me. What if you fell?" He laughed at her. "I've fallen before. It only hurts for a short time." "You've fallen before doing that?" "Yes." He looked at her entirely innocent and excited at the same time. "Just try it. Run up to the ice and slide across. It's easy." "No." "Please Francesca. Try it one time." "No!" "Ah." She rolled her eyes. "O.K., what does ah mean?"

He crossed his arms and tried to look at her seriously, but she could still see the laughter in his eyes. "It means you want 'me' to try new things, but when I suggest that you try something new, you refuse." "Oh." "My point exactly." Looking cautiously at the patch of ice, she crossed her arms as well, mirroring Fraser's stance. "I don't know Benton." He smiled again. "Watch me and then you do it." Diefenbaker was calmly sitting to the side of the pair watching them. He didn't know what to make of the two humans.

Fraser loped a few steps away and then he sprinted towards the ice, sliding effortlessly over it's surface, his boots leaving another trail through the thin layer of snow that had covered it. Looking back at Francesca, Fraser held his arms out to her. "If you slide across the ice, I'll give you a kiss." She grinned back at him. "I can get a kiss from you even if I don't slide on it." Dropping his arms, he blankly stared back at her.

"Oh come on Benton! I can't do this." "Please Francesca. Just once." She looked at the patch of ice and then at Fraser's dejected looking face. *Shit! I know I'm gonna' get hurt.* "All right! I'll try it. Once. But if I get hurt, you have to wait on me hand and foot." He smiled brightly back at her, waiting patiently. Moving back a few feet, she jogged up to the ice and hit it's surface, sliding quickly across it. Before she knew it, she was back on the snow covered ground.

"I did it!" She squealed and jumped up at Fraser, catching him off guard. She heard him make an "umpf!" sound as they hit the snow, with Francesca laying on top of him. Biting her lip she expected to see him grimacing in pain, but he was smiling at her. "Wasn't that fun?" "Yes it was!" She kissed him and with an evil grin she pushed herself up and stood. "Lets' do it again!" Fraser jumped up to stand by her, brushing the snow off of his coat and jeans. "I told you it was fun."

They took turns sliding repeatedly across the patch of ice and they even slid over it together. Breathing heavily, Francesca laughed, but she choked off her laughter as she glanced at her watch. "Oh shit Benton! We have to stop, we're late for dinner."

Fraser looked at his own watch and laughed once more. "Ray will not be pleased. He's going to be under the impression that we have been 'involved' all of this time."

Francesca started laughing as well. "We're goin' to give him a stroke someday." Grabbing Fraser's hand, she began to run toward the direction of the house. "Let's go!"

As they sprinted down the walk, Diefenbaker jumped up and joined them. Running was something he understood and enjoyed. Barking, he ran past them. His destination...food at the Vecchio's.


	3. Chapters 51 to 75

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will edit at a later date.

When they reached the porch they stomped the snow from their boots. Opening the door they burst into the foyer, laughing. They knew it would be only moments before Ray began his legendary dirty looks at them. Sitting on the floor they unlaced their boots. Pulling them off, they placed them neatly side by side. Francesca snickered as she looked at the boots. "You have big feet Benton." "I do not have big feet." "Yes you do. And you know what they say about men with big feet."

He gave her a confused look as they walked into the dining room. Ray's voice yelled out loudly to them. "It's about time!" "Ray, we apologize for arriving late for dinner. We were..." "We were sliding on the ice!" Francesca gave Ray a big grin. He in turn gave her a doubtful look. "You were sliding on the ice? I'm supposed to believe that?" Fraser smiled back at Ray. "Yes Ray, we were." Maria smiled as she looked at Francesca. "You and Benton were playing together?" "Yes we were 'playing' on the ice. Not what Ray is thinking." Maria shook her head, the smile still on her face. *So Frannie does listen to me after all.*

Ray still doubted them. "Uh huh. You two were outside all this time, sliding around on some piece of ice. Whatever." "Ray we were." He picked up his fork and began eating again, ignoring Francesca. She knew he didn't believe a word that she said. "Oh I don't care if you believe us or not. We were sliding on the ice and it was fun!"

Looking around the table, her stomach growled. "I'm starving." She sat down and Fraser sat in his chair beside her. "Francesca, Ray does not believe us." "Who cares what he thinks. Could you pass me the beans please." As they began spooning food onto their plates, Fraser's brow knitted in confusion. "Francesca, what did you mean by that comment about men with big feet?"

Ray choked on a forkful of chicken and Maria covered her mouth laughing. Francesca saw her mother tuck her head down so no one could see the smile on her face. When Tony smiled broadly at them, Francesca knew that she was in trouble. "Why you askin' Fraser?" "Francesca said that I have big feet and then she made a comment..." "That's enough Benton." "But you said..." "I don't care what I said. Drop it!" She motioned for Fraser to shut up. He closed his mouth, but he still stared at her thoroughly confused.

"Hey Fraser." He turned to look across the table at Tony. "Yes?" Francesca shot a dirty look at Tony. "Don't you say it Tony." "Why not? You said it, I'm just tellin' him what it means." Tony's smile grew bigger as he told Fraser what it meant. "Basically there's a rumor that you can judge a man's 'size' by how big his feet are." Fraser looked blankly back at Tony and Ray snickered. "Tony...he has no idea what you're tellin' him." "You still don't know?" Fraser looked perfectly innocent, his face a question mark. "Know what?"

Tony leaned back in his chair and laughed. "Fraser. Your 'size'." "I'm sorry, but the size of what?" "Benny." Fraser looked back at Ray. "The size of...well...what's the most important thing in a relationship?" "Love. How can love have a size? And how can it refer to myself..." Ray rubbed his face with his hands. "Geez you can be so dense sometimes. Your size...Benny what does a woman judge a guy by?" Fraser sat staring at Ray. Francesca finally had enough.

Grabbing him by the shirt she pulled him down to her and whispered tightly in his ear. "Your dick Benton. You can judge the size of a guys dick by the size of his feet." She pushed him away from her and looked at him, waiting for his reaction. He could feel his face growing hot, knowing that he was blushing. Tony had to say something more. "So Fraser. Is it true? I mean Frannie said you have big feet." He looked around the table and found everyone, except for the children, staring at him. The worst part was Mrs. Vecchio was even waiting for him to say something.

"Um...I think it's an old wives tale. I do not have big feet by the way." Francesca chuckled and squeezed his thigh underneath the table. "You are too cute." He gave a her a sideways glance, a small smile on his lips as he whispered to her. "I am telling the truth. I do not have big feet." Francesca leaned against him. "Your feet are 'huge' Benton." Ray could still hear them. "Knock it off Frannie! Some of us are still trying to eat." "Yes Ray." She reached under the table and squeezed Fraser's crotch, causing him to jump slightly. Not looking at him, she mumbled. "Definitely big feet." 

 

As they cleared off the table after dinner, Francesca nudged Fraser. "Do you wanna' take Dief to the park?" She was rewarded with a big smile from him. "A walk would be nice. Ray would you care to join us?" "Nah. I'm gonna' go and watch the game." "Maria?" "Thank you, but no Benton. I have to get the kids ready for bed." "Couldn't Tony do that for you?" "Yeah right." She laughed sarcastically as she carried a bowl of leftovers to the kitchen.

Francesca, why can't Tony get the children ready for bed?" She went over and hugged Fraser, giving him a soft kiss. "Because Tony's not like you, Benton. Come on. Let's go take Diefenbaker to the park. Maybe we'll be lucky and find ourselves a bigger patch of ice while we're there." Taking his hand she led him out to the foyer, so they could get their boots and coats on. 

 

Walking along a path in the park, Francesca hugged herself tightly against Fraser. It was flurrying out, causing just the right amount of sparkle in the air. She could see an outdoor rink lit up, the skaters making lazy circles over it's surface. Tugging at his arm, she pointed at the sight. "Benton, let's go skating tomorrow." Looking at the rink, he smiled. He softly chuckled to himself and his smile grew bigger.

"What are you laughing about?" "Could we ask Ray and Meg to go with us?" Francesca grinned up at him. "I know why you're laughing. Ray can't skate. I'm not that good at it, but Ray can hardly stand up. Can Meg skate? I mean, I know all of you Canadian's play hockey..." "Francesca, we do not 'all' play hockey." "Have you ever played?" "Yes, I did as a child." "And Meg?" "She has mentioned playing before." "Turnbull?"

Fraser sighed. "Well Benton? Has Turnbull ever played before?" "Yes...he turned down a professional contract to become a Mountie." "Get out! Are you for real?!" "Yes, why would I make something like that up?" Francesca smiled and her eyes got a distant look to them. "Damn. Turnbull was that good? No wonder his butt is so tight." She bit her lip the moment the words were out of her mouth. She felt Fraser's arm stiffen up in her hold. No longer speaking, he looked straight ahead as they walked along the path.

"Benton?" "What." "Oh come on! All I did was notice his butt. I looked him over before I even started going out with you." Fraser stopped walking and now stared back at her, pulling his arm away. "You 'looked' him over? Exactly how much of Turnbull did you look over?" "You know I can understand you being jealous of Tom..." "Oh really? Then contrary to what you have said, I should be jealous of Tom?"

Francesca held her breath, biting back a nasty retort. *How in the hell did this get started?* "No...I'm not saying you should be jealous of Tom or Turnbull. I'm sorry, but come on! You didn't pay attention to me, you basically ignored me, so I gave Turnbull the once over. I mean, if you weren't interested, it didn't hurt to at least look at him." Fraser made a face, showing his distaste over her choice. "But Turnbull?" Francesca snorted. "What's wrong with Turnbull? He's tall, he's cute, he's..." "Would you prefer to be with him rather than me?"

*Don't yell at him. He's being an ass.* She threw her hands up in frustration. "Diefenbaker!" Dief bounced over to her. She pointed a finger at Fraser. "Bite him, he's being stupid again." Diefenbaker cocked his head to the side staring up at Fraser. "No, she is not serious." Dief turned and trotted away down the path, sniffing at a trail in the snow. Grabbing Fraser's arm, she pulled him so that they were walking again.

"I was serious. You're acting stupid again." They walked down the path in total silence. She could tell that he was still bothered by her comments. *I'll fix him.* "Benton, how many woman besides me have you looked at since you've been here? And I want an honest answer." "Two...well, there was a third, but it was more...visual." "So why are you getting so upset with me for checking out Turnbull. I mean how many times did you stare at Meg's ass?" "Francesca that is..." "That is what?

She stared at him, daring Fraser to give her one of his silly excuses. "Correct." "Oh...so it's was O.K. for you to stare at her ass all you wanted and it's not supposed to bother me? Wouldn't you call me ridiculous if I got mad at you for admitting it? You told me before that I was being silly for being jealous of Meg. Hell! I've helped you set her up with Ray! What more do you want?" "I apologize." "Uh huh. So now were even. I don't want to hear you getting pissy about this again." "I am not acting...pissy."

They continued walking down the path and out of the park, heading down the street. "You won't treat Turnbull any different now will you?" "Francesca I would never..." "Promise me, you won't act funny around him now." She stopped walking and waited for his answer. "I promise I will not treat Turnbull any differently now that I know you wanted him." "I did not 'want' him. I looked at him. It's different. It's not like I had fantasies with him in it. I always pictured you." "Really?" "Yes, really."

They continued walking until they reached the Vecchio's house. Standing on the porch, Fraser toed his boot against the floorboards. "Are you going to come home with me?" "No, I think I'll see you tomorrow at lunch. Come over then. We'll eat and then head to the park to skate. I'll get Ray to call Meg and ask her if she wants to come with us." She watched his face as she spoke. She could tell that he was slightly surprised that she had said no to him. *Maybe he needs me to say no more often. I think he's getting a little too possessive for his own good. One night away from me won't kill him.*

"Oh. All right. I'll see you tomorrow. At lunch." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Good night." Francesca felt a pang of guilt as she watched his solitary figure walking down the street. *It's not like he's alone. He does have Diefenbaker.* Going into the house, she sat down on the foyer floor to remove her boots. It seemed empty without Fraser sitting next to her. *Oh get a grip Frannie! He's not gone for good.*

Walking into the den, she flopped down on the sofa, again noticing the emptiness beside and within her. It was the same feeling she had earlier in the day when Fraser wasn't around. It was an aching loneliness and she knew what it meant. *Yeah you love him all right. Too much. You're starting to let your life revolve around him. I think it's time I concentrated on me again.* Taking a look around the room, she knew she wouldn't get anyone to go anywhere with her. The game was on and Tony and Ray were yelling at the screen. Maria and Ma were both settled in. One with a book, the other with their needlepoint.

Jumping up from the sofa she went up to her room, grabbed some items and her robe. Going to the bathroom, she ran herself a nice hot bubble bath. Lighting a scented candled, she settled back into the soothing water for a few relaxing chapters of her new 'Sword of Desire' novel. She didn't need Fraser around to have herself a satisfying evening. She could do what she wanted tonight. Turning the page she started reading. 

 

Opening the door, Fraser let Diefenbaker into the house. Walking through the living room, he looked down at the blanket and pillows still on the floor. The only remaining evidence of their lovemaking. As much as he loved her, Francesca still confused and unnerved him at times. She could be loving and compassionate one moment and then her mood could swing to biting and sarcastic the next. But her attitude that she used with him on the porch worried him.

Picking the pillows up he placed them back on the small sofa. As he folded the blanket he thought of how she brushed him off. Like he was more of an annoyance than someone she loved. *I guess she did have a right to be annoyed with me. Dear Lord I acted like a fool. Getting jealous? Over Turnbull?* His anger at himself for ruining their evening together made him edgy. He wanted to go back to the Vecchios' and apologize to Francesca again, but then maybe she didn't want to discuss the matter any further. She did say she would see him tomorrow. Not later this evening. The need to do something, anything, overwhelmed him. Looking at the untidy mess in the living room, Fraser hung up his coat and stetson. Rolling up his sleeves, he began to clean. 

 

Stepping out of the tub, Francesca toweled off and wrapped herself in a soft robe. Combing out her hair she wrapped a towel around her head and headed back to her room. Digging through a basket full of nail polish she finally found a color that suited her mood. A nice bright lacquer pink. Settling down on the bed, she carefully applied a coat. Letting it dry she applied a second coat. Holding her hands out, she admired the perfect job she had done. *I should work at a beauty salon doing nails. Damn I'm good.*

Grabbing her 'Sword of Desire' novel she read a few more chapters, waiting for her nails to dry completely. Once they were dry she could finish doing her hair. Usually reading her novels made her feel relaxed and happy. But now...now she found herself getting aggravated. She kept picturing herself as the heroine, but the man on the cover always changed into Fraser. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

Looking at the clock next to her bed she was surprised by the time. It was twelve. Grabbing her blow dryer she did her hair. It really didn't make any sense doing it, but she hated sleeping on wet hair. And the mess that she would look in the morning. Urgh. No way. Once her hair was finished, she threw off her robe and slid into the cool sheets, shivering slightly. *If Benton were here I could warm up against him.*

Tossing and turning she tried to get comfortable. She couldn't sleep. Counting sheep didn't work. Then she pictured Mounties jumping their horses over fences. No matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep. She missed him. She missed feeling his solid warmth. The sound of his heartbeat. The feel of his smooth skin against hers. Looking back at the clock, she exhaled loudly. Flinging the comforter aside she sat up. *It's one in the morning. What in the hell am I gonna' do?*

Jumping out of bed, she opened up a few drawers. Yanking on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, she cautiously opened her door and peered into the hall. No one was around, so she silently made her way down the stairs and into the foyer where she quickly laced her boots. Grabbing her coat, Francesca headed out into the night. 

 

Fraser had finished cleaning the living room. It was spotless. With a smile he assured himself that it could pass an inspection from Thatcher. Even she wouldn't be able to find any dirt. He still wasn't feeling sleepy, so he made his way to the kitchen. Scrubbing the floor and counters, he meticulously cleaned ever square inch of the small room. It was twelve thirty when he finally decided to go and get prepared for bed.

After getting his shower, he buttoned up his long johns. Standing in the bedroom he looked down at the bed. The idea of sleeping in it unsettled him. He had gotten so use to having her with him, that he knew he couldn't sleep in it without her. He had tried on several occasions, but he always ended up on the floor. Grabbing a pillow and the comforter from the bed, he made his way downstairs to the living room.

Diefenbaker jumped up on the small sofa as Fraser folded up the comforter, setting it down on the floor along with the pillow. He walked over to the stereo and turned on a classical station hoping that the music would prove to be soothing. The moment he laid down on the floor all he could think of was Francesca. How her small body tucked against his. The smell of her hair. The way her skin would brush up against his. *This is ridiculous.*

Standing up, he went up stairs and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Running back down, he quickly laced his boots and grabbed his coat and stetson. "Come Dief." Diefenbaker jumped off of the sofa as Fraser turned off the stereo. Opening the door he headed out into the night.

As she walked down the street, Francesca smiled as she passed the patch of ice that she and Fraser had played on earlier. She could still see his footprints that he made in the snow. *He does have big feet.* As she walked further down the street, she could make out the figure of a person coming towards her. Stiffening up, she felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. *Who would be out walking at this time of night? This might not be such a good idea after all.*

Slowing her steps, she squinted, trying to make out who it could be. When the figure passed under a street light, she grinned. There was no mistaking that stetson or the loping stride that was uniquely Fraser's. She could see him hesitate and then he resumed walking towards her. Diefenbaker on the other hand, came running up to her. Kneeling down, she ruffled the fur around his neck and chest.

Hearing the crunch of Fraser's boots in the snow, she slowly looked up. His hands were tucked in his pockets and he looked down at her with a slight smile. She smiled back and they spoke at the same time. "I couldn't...sleep." Reaching a hand out, Fraser clasped hers and pulled her up to him, giving her a hug. Turning, they made their way back to Fraser's house in a companionable silence. When they reached the house and entered it, Francesca felt...at home. It was a simple feeling, but a strong one.

As she removed her coat, she saw the pillow and the comforter on the floor. "Benton, why weren't you sleeping upstairs?" He looked down at the floor, his response so soft that she almost didn't hear it. "I can't sleep in the bed without you." Reaching down, she picked up the pillow and handed it to him. Gathering the comforter in her arms she nudged him. "Let's go to bed."

After remaking the bed together, Francesca began to undress, watching Fraser as he slowly disrobed. She giggled when she saw that he had his red long johns underneath his clothes. "Were you in hurry to leave by any chance?" He smiled shyly at her as he unbuttoned them. Walking over, Francesca moved his hands gently away, pushing her hands underneath the warm thermals, she ran her palms over his chest.

As she pushed the material off his shoulders and down his hips, she smiled. She hadn't even done anything other than touch him and he was already growing hard. "Benton...do you want to stay awake for a little while longer?" Without waiting for an answer, she kissed him on his hip and made a trail up his chest. When she reached his neck, she smiled again, reaching forward to bite at his jugular. His low moan as she sucked at his skin, quickly changed to a light chuckle. "No marks Francesca."

Moving back down to his shoulder, she sucked at him. Pulling back, she could see the sign of a red mark on his pale white skin. "Do you mind if I leave marks where people can't see them?" She felt herself being lifted onto the bed and rolled over. "Not if you don't mind any marks in return." His light nip on her shoulder was joined by his hand gently parting her legs. She felt him pushing himself against her.

Twisting over, she looked up and pulled him down to her, wrapping her legs around his waist as she thrust her tongue in his mouth. As he began to slowly run his length against her sex, she could feel his heartbeat against her skin. It was as fast and erratic as her own. "Benton. I want you...now." She felt him push against her and then he jerked away. "What's wrong?!" "I forgot." She watched his face as he concentrated on his control. "I almost forgot Francesca. I'm sorry." "Sorry about what?"

Shaking his head, he reached past her and opened the dresser draw next to the bed and picked out a Lucky13, holding it in front of her. She sighed. "Benton...forget about it." She picked it out of his grasp and set it down on the dresser. "Francesca, we can't." "We can't what? Come on. Does it really matter anymore? I want to feel 'you'." He smiled at her and reached out to pick the condom back up. "You will feel 'me', Francesca. There isn't a difference." She smiled back at him and shook her head no. "You don't lie very well. There's a difference all right. It's not much, but there is one." "Perhaps. But we can wait a few more weeks to find out just how different it will be."

They made love slowly, each movement drawn out and long. Francesca could tell that Fraser was concentrating again. His face almost had a look of determination to it. She knew he wanted to take her hard and fast, but he was holding back. With a sly grin, she decided to change his mind. Pulling his head to hers she bit his lip and then moved to roughly bite his neck, whispering in his ear. "I want you to fuck me, Benton. Fuck me like a dog."

She laughed as he pulled back from her slightly shocked, but then he smiled down at her. "Really? That's what you want?" Before she had time to react, he flipped her over and reentered her, thrusting in earnest. "Is this what you wanted Francesca." Pushing herself up on her arms, she pressed back against him. "Yes...like that." Her voice was low and menacing to her own ears, surprising herself. She never thought of herself as being kinky, but this was definitely something different.

She felt his arms wrap themselves around her shoulder and waist as he pulled her roughly against him. He moved smoothly into her and then changed his pace, almost pounding against her. Francesca felt Fraser jerk as he came, not waiting for her. She let out a small protest as he pulled out , and then she yelped as he flipped her onto her back once more. Leaning over her, he stared into her eyes, his own pupils large and dark. She felt the familiar feeling of fear mingled with excitement. She never knew what to expect from Fraser when he lost control of himself.

With an evil smile he slid down her body, stopping to nip at her breasts. He kissed her stomach once and she felt him pause and then he kissed her sex, gently and then with an increasing passion. Almost as if he were kissing her lips. She felt his tongue thrust into her. Raising her hips, she pressed herself against him, groaning in delight at the sensations. He continued his assault, alternating between his kisses and then sucking at her, his fingers easing their way into her body.

As she felt herself tensing up, Fraser quickly moved away, to lean over her again. He was breathing heavily and then he nudged her legs further apart, shoving himself roughly into her. Clutching at his shoulders, Francesca screamed out as he began to thrust into her. Her orgasm pulsed within, but he didn't stop. Throwing her head back, she let out a guttural moan as a second wave of pleasure tore through her body. Her own cries were mixed with the sound of Fraser's voice as he came again.

Pulling quickly out, he rolled to the side and embraced her. Holding her tightly to him. Their breathing heavy, their bodies coated with a thin sheen of sweat. She could feel the rapid flutter of her heart. "Oh my, God. That was...I don't know...but God, Benton...that was better than...27." His arms tightened their hold, as he kissed her deeply, almost drawing the breath from her lungs. Pulling back he stared into her eyes and smiled. His voice tremulous. "Never doubt it for an instant Francesca...I love you."

The amount of emotion in his voice, brought tears to her eyes. To be loved by him in this way was something more than she could have wished for. They could have their small arguments. They could disagree, but he loved her. Hugging him tightly, she kissed him, but the passion was softer. More gentle. There wasn't the demanding urgency from a few minutes ago. Just the comfortable feeling of belonging together. They snuggled against each other. She felt him reach down between them and pull the Lucky13 off. She snickered, when she saw him fling it behind him onto the floor. Tucking her head against his shoulder she smiled. "Don't forget to pick that up in the morning." His murmur of, "I won't forget." was the last thing she heard, as she fell asleep. 

 

They had eaten breakfast, showered and made their way their way to the Vecchio's. The two of them cajoled Ray into going skating and now they stared at him, waiting for Ray to pick up the phone and invite Thatcher come along. Ray looked back at their two eager faces. "Don't watch me O.K.?" Francesca smiled thinly at Ray. "Why not? You always listen in when I talk to Benton. Nothin' we ever say to each other when you're around is private."

"Aw, come on Frannie, give me some privacy here." "Nope. Call her. If you don't get her now, she might go out for the day and you'll miss her." Ray tentatively picked the phone up and then he placed it back down. "Forget it." Fraser smiled slightly as he spoke "Ray, why are you afraid to call her?" "I am 'not' afraid!"

Ray jerked the handset out of its cradle and punched in Thatcher's number. Francesca snorted and nudged Fraser. "He has her number memorized already. He wants her bad." "Frannie, you are so ignorant!" Ray's face paled slightly and he stammered when he spoke into the phone. "No! Uh...sorry Meg...no not you, Frannie. Yeah she can be real pain in the ass...what?...oh yeah...I was wondering...um...would you like to go ice skating? Frannie and Benny asked me to go and...you would? Cool. I mean...yeah...we can pick you...oh...O.K... be here around twelve-thirty if you want to eat...oh...O.K. then be here around one-thirty...all right...me too...see you then...'bye."

Ray hung the phone up looking slightly dazed. "Well?" Francesca leaned forward waiting to hear all of the details. "She said yes." "Duh Ray! I knew that! What else did she say?" "Nothin' really. She just got all excited about going skating. Somehow I never pictured her as being the sporty type." "Well Ray, Inspector Thatcher is athletic. She has played softball and hockey that I know of." "Hockey? You do mean field hockey Benny, right?" Fraser stared back at Ray like he was an idiot. "No Ray. Ice hockey." "She can skate?" "Ray, didn't Benton just say she played 'ice' hockey? That means she can skate."

Ray ran a hand across his face and closed his eyes. "Great. Everyone except for me can skate. I'm gonna' look like a fucking idiot next to her." "Ray, Francesca said that she can not skate all that well and you remember how badly I skated." "Don't try being nice about this Benny. You can skate. She can stand up and move around." Ray gestured at Francesca. "You saw me that time! I had bruises on my knees and ass that hurt like hell the last time I was on the ice." Resting his head against the wall Ray sighed. "Why in the hell I said I'd go with you guys, I'll never know."

Francesca snickered. "It's obvious why you said yes. You have the hots for Meg and you'll do anything to go out with her." "Damn it Frannie, knock it off!" Ray saw Fraser smiling at him. "You knock it off too!" "Yes Ray." "Jesus Christ, I can't believe the shit I let you talk me into!" "Ray, everything will be fine. We'll have fun today." "Yeah. You and Frannie will have loads of fun. Meg will have fun. I'll just look like a fool." 

 

They were finishing up their lunch when there was a knock at the front door. Ray stood quickly, cracking his knee on the table. "Damn it!" Rubbing his knee, he hobbled out of the kitchen to go and answer the door. Fraser laugh softly at his retreating figure. "Benton?" Fraser looked at Francesca with a grin on his face. "I use to get nervous like that around her." Francesca narrowed her eyes. "Oh really?" Fraser immediately regretted his words.

"Francesca, we don't need to argue about this topic again. It's in the past." "It had better be or Mrs. Rizzo will get her wish." "Excuse me?" Fraser's face scrunched up in confusion. Before he could question her further, Ray and Thatcher strolled into the kitchen. Thatcher had a pair of battered skates slung over her shoulder. Her jeans were old and faded and she wore a heavy wool sweater with a windbreaker over it. Her hair was pulled back into a single braid. Francesca could tell that Thatcher was excited at the prospect of going skating. Her cheeks were flushed and she had a big grin on her face.

"I haven't skated in a few years. I can't wait to hit the ice!" Ray looked worried. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." Thatcher smiled at Ray. "Don't worry, I'll show you how to do it." Francesca muttered under her breath. "Yeah, I bet you will." Fraser's head jerked towards her. With his acute hearing, he had heard Francesca. Ray clapped his hands nervously together. "Well...let's go then."

Ray and Thatcher left the kitchen and just as Francesca was about to follow them, Fraser held her back. "No more Francesca." "No more what?" "No more snide comments of that nature again. Please." "You heard me?" Fraser only raised his eyebrows at her. Francesca smiled at him and covered her mouth. Muttering softly, she watched in delight as Fraser's face turned a deep red. "Yeah, you heard me all right. You have great hearing Benton. Come on, let's go."

Turning she walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Throwing a smile over her shoulder, she called back to Fraser. "Are you coming?" As he came up behind her, Fraser grabbed Francesca and whispered into her ear, pushing himself up against her ass. "Maybe later." "Benton!" Ray and Thatcher stared at the two of them. "What are you doing?" Fraser hesitated and released Francesca, backing slightly away from her with a guilty look. "Nothing Ray." "Yeah. You better not be doing anything." 

 

Pulling up to the rink, Ray gripped the steering wheel of the Riv nervously as the others crawled happily from the car. Fraser leaned back in, his skates dangling over his shoulder. "Ray, you're not going to injure yourself." "Yeah? You aren't the one who had the bruises before." Ray reluctantly got out of the Riv and slowly walked over to the skate rental booth. He looked back at the three, who were watching him. *Yeah. Look at 'em. They all have their own skates. I'm gonna' die.*

He requested his size and threw his money down on the counter. Grabbing the black figure skates he headed over to a bench by the ice where Fraser and Thatcher sat side by side. Their fingers nimbly lacing their skates. He heard them laughing as they compared skates. They both had battered CCM hockey skates. He heard Thatcher make a comment at how big Fraser's were and watched him blush in return.

Ray felt a surge of jealousy run through him. He glanced at Francesca, who looked like she was about to start crying as she stared at Fraser sitting so close to Thatcher, listening to their easy banter. *That's enough of this shit!* "Excuse me." Ray pushed his way between Fraser and Thatcher, taking his shoes off he set them under the bench. Grabbing a skate, he began to struggle to pull it on, elbowing Fraser in the process, who moved further down the bench.

Fraser turned to Francesca, who still held her white figure skates in her hands. "Aren't you going to put your skates on Francesca?" She moved stiffly to sit next to him. "Um...yeah." As she fumbled nervously with the laces of her skates, Fraser gently covered her hands with his. Moving off of the bench, he knelt down in front of her. "Let me do it for you." Unlacing the boot further, he slid the skate onto her foot, slowly lacing it, testing it's tightness. "Is this too tight Francesca." "No, it's O.K." Her reply was emotionless. Fraser looked into her face trying to figure out her change in mood. She had been happy a minute ago and now she seemed upset.

When he finished her second skate, Fraser stood and helped her stand, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Are you feeling unwell?" "Yeah." "You're sick? Why didn't you tell me?" "I'm not that sick." *I'm sick of you hanging all over Thatcher like a dog!* Taking his hands she led him onto the ice. He was now looking at her intently. "Are you certain you are well enough to be skating? We can go home if you're not feeling well." She sighed and closed her eyes. Opening them, all she saw was Fraser's concern for her. "I'm fine. Let's go skate." Pulling him by the hand they moved away.

Ray was still struggling with his skate lacing. He had managed to get one boot on and with a grunt, he finally pulled on the second. "Damn, these things are tight!" Thatcher smiled thinly at him. "I can tie them for you." Ray glared at her. "No thank you, I can do it myself." Thatcher sat impatiently, tapping her fingers on her knees, watching Ray make a mess of the lacing job. *I've had it with him. He is being so...so...he's acting like a bullheaded man!*

Kneeling down in front of Ray, Thatcher shoved his hands away. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Without looking up she answered him. "Getting your skates on before the rink closes." He sat back and watched her quickly undo the mess that he made of his laces. As he watched her retie them he looked at her hair as the sun shone down on it. He began to picture what that same hair would feel like if he ran his fingers through it. He felt a tightening in his groin, when he began to fantasize her kneeling before him like this, slowly taking him into her mouth.

With a pat on the skate boot, Thatcher brought Ray out of his fantasy. Looking up at him she smiled and stood. Grabbing him by the hands, she pulled him up next to her. He bent over slightly and adjusted his jeans. "Do you have a problem Ray?" "Uh...no...sorry...I haven't worn jeans in a while. They're kinda' tight." Thatcher looked him over and smiled. Ray kept his hands nervously in front of him, trying to not let her see his slight condition. "Yeah. They're a bit tight, but you look nice in them." "Really?" He smiled back at her as she led him onto the ice.

The moment he moved forward he stumbled, flailing his hands wildly to keep from falling, he clutched at Thatcher's shoulder. Missing her shoulder completely he grabbing a handful of breast. His eyes widened immediately and he jerked away from her. "Whoa!" As he jerked his hands away from Thatcher, he fell back on his ass. Looking up from his position on the ice, he felt mortified. Swallowing nervously, he looked up at her shocked face. "I am sooooo sorry! I didn't mean to do that. Honest!" Thatcher's eyes narrowed as she helped him stand back up. With a smirk, she grabbed him hard on the crotch and quickly released him as he doubled over. "And I didn't mean to do that. Now we're even Steven."

Wheezing, Ray slowly stood up straighter, blinking back tears he grimaced at Thatcher. "What is with you Canadians and that even Steven stuff?" She ignored his comment and grabbed him by the hands. "Let's skate." She began to instruct Ray on how to stand up and go forward. As he struggled to stay up, Ray glanced across the ice to see Fraser and Francesca gracefully skating hand in hand. He felt another surge of jealousy. Even his sister skated without any trouble. He watched as Fraser laughed at Francesca and then he sprinted away from her, skating towards him and Thatcher.

He came to a quick side stop and smiled at them. "See Ray. You're not doing all that bad." "Yeah, right." Thatcher smiled at Fraser. "Would you care to race me once around?" Fraser's smile widened. "Yes Sir...Meg. That would be nice." Thatcher released Ray's hand and grinned. "We'll be right back." Ray watched the two Mounties move away from him. They crouched down and then at Thatcher's command of "Go!" they sprinted away. Picking up speed they zipped past Francesca, who had stopped and stared at them with her hands on her hips.

Francesca skated slowly over to Ray. "You better tell Meg to back off or I swear to God, I'm gonna' slug her." Ray snorted. "Yeah...well you better tell Benny to knock it off. He's not helping me here any. The showoff! What is with him anyway? He never acts this way with her..." Ray stopped talking as he saw the pair speeding their way towards them. Flinching, Ray threw his hands up as they stopped in front of him, throwing a spray of ice all over him. Falling backwards, he looked up at Fraser and Thatcher. The two of them were breathing heavily, their smiling faces flushed from the exertion and the cold.

"Damn it! That's not funny!" Ray blinked in surprise, his mouth dropping open. Fraser actually laughed at him. Then he suddenly turned to Francesca and picked her up off the ice and skated away with her in his arms. Ray listened to his sisters mingled squeal of laughter and fright fade as Fraser sped away from them. He found a hand thrust into his face. Thatcher waited patiently for Ray to clasp her hand and then she helped him stand once more. Thatcher smiled at him again. "Are you ready to try and skate once around the rink? I promise I won't go as fast with you as I did with Fraser." *Yeah...I bet you and Benny went fast.* Ray pushed himself forward, gliding across the ice. His irritated expression was quickly replaced with a smile. "Hey look! I'm skating!" 

 

They spent the better part of the afternoon on the ice. It was cold outside, but it was bright and sunny. The perfect weather to be skating in. Ray had finally managed to successfully master the basics of skating, thanks to Thatcher's instructions. He could make his way around the rink without falling down once. Gliding forward, Ray came to an unsteady stop at the edge of the ice. Stepping off it onto the ground he made his way to a bench. Thatcher stood at the ice's edge looking at him.

"What do you think you're doing Ray?" Unlacing a skate he smiled up at her. "Well Meg to be blunt, nature calls." He pointed over to the snack bar. "And after I take care of that, I'm gonna get me some hot cocoa and something to eat." He watched Thatcher bite her lip as she glanced over at the stand. "You want a cup too? Maybe we could split one of those big bear claw donut things." "Sure. I haven't had one of those in ages." Walking off the ice she sat next to Ray and began unlacing her skates.

She looked out at the rink and shook her head when she caught sight of Fraser and Francesca. They were slowly trying to dance together, their movements were fumbled, but they looked like they were having fun making the attempt. She watched as Fraser bent Francesca slowly back, placing a kiss on her lips, then bringing her back up, he spun them in a circle. Ray noticed Thatcher's gaze and laughed.

"It is kinda' weird seeing them like that isn't it?" "I will admit I was shocked at first by their being together, but the more I see them interacting..." She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I know. Benny and Frannie. It's kinda' scary." Thatcher grinned. "I wouldn't classify it as scary. More like...interesting. They're so different, yet they seem to work well together." "Yeah, I guess what they say about opposites is true." Thatcher nodded her head slowly and peeked at Ray.

"I think I would prefer someone who shared similar interests with me. There's bound to be too many disagreements in that type of relationship." Ray snorted. "Not with Benny. He's got to be the most agreeable person in the world." Thatcher actually laughed at his comment. *Oh yeah! Score one for me! Got the Dragon Lady to laugh.* "That is an understatement. Fraser avoids conflict as much as he can. I think I heard more yes sirs in one month in Chicago than I did in a whole year in Toronto." Looking back at Fraser she shook her head again. "On the other hand...Fraser attracts conflict." "Tell me something I don't already know."

Ray pulled his shoes off and looked up to see Fraser and Francesca stepping off the ice. "You're not leaving are you, Ray?" "Nah. Just a bathroom and snack break." "Ah." Francesca danced slightly next to Fraser. "I think I'd like to use the bathroom too." Ray and Thatcher waited for Fraser and Francesca to remove their skates and put on their boots. Walking up to the rest rooms they split up.

Walking into the men's room, Ray hurriedly undid his pants as he stepped up to the urinal and peed. "Jesus, I had to piss so bad Benny, but I didn't want to tell Meg that." Fraser had stood next to Ray and avoided direct eye contact with him. "All you had to do is excuse yourself Ray." "Oh yeah. I can hear me now. Meg I got to piss like a train, will you excuse me please." Ray peeked down at Fraser as he urinated. Fraser saw him out of the corner of his eye. "Ray!"

Fraser finished going and tucked himself back. Ray finished up washing his hands, looking slightly embarrassed at getting caught looking at Fraser. "Sorry, but...have you...I mean did you and Thatcher ever do it? For real. I need to know." Fraser sighed. "Between you and Francesca I believe I have answered the question enough." "Just answer me truthfully. Man to man. Did you have sex with her, Benny." "No we never had sex Ray. But what does that have to do with you...looking at me just now." Ray turned slightly red.

"Well...I mean if you had been with her, I don't think I'd like her to be comparing me to you." "Excuse me?" "Oh come on Benny. Look at you and look at me. You've been blessed with the whole nine yards." Nodding at Fraser's crotch he frowned. "And then some. It's kinda' unfair if you think about it." Fraser tucked his head down. "Ray...I...well...you aren't lacking in any area that I know of." "Let's take a test here Benny. How many woman hit on me at the station? How many women have hit on you? And that's even without them knowing what's behind door number one."

"Door number one?" "Your dick Benny, I'm talking about what every woman in the station gabs about when they compare guys. I bet if you ask Frannie, she can probably tell you the size of almost every guy there. Those women talk. And I bet they all know about you and him." Ray pointed at his crotch. Fraser involuntarily covered himself. "Why are we talking about this?" "Because like I said...I don't want Meg comparing my skinny ass to your tight one, that's why." "Ray you're being ridiculous. Your posterior is not skinny."

At Fraser's comment another skater ambled into the rest room and gave them a funny look. Ray glared at him. "What are you looking at!? Can't two guys talk about how they look without anyone making a big deal out of it?!" The skater hurried into the stall and locked the door. "Come on, let's get out of here before I pop that guy one." "Ray, why would you hit him for..." "Just shut up and let's go." "Yes Ray."

Walking out of the bathroom they stood next to each other waiting for Thatcher and Francesca to come out. Ray looked at his watch. "God, women take so long in the bathroom." "I think the reason would be because they have to remove their clothing to..." "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "I know what they have to do to go. I bet they're in there yakking." "Like we were?" "We were having a serious discussion." "Ah...your backside is a very serious topic." The man from the bathroom walked out just as Fraser spoke and glared at them.

Ray snapped at him. "What are you looking at?!" "Faggots!" The man shot back. Ray lunged at him, only to have Fraser restrain him. "Let me go Benny!" The man gave them a look of disgust and walked calmly away as Fraser held Ray back. "God damn it Benny, let me go!" "As soon as you calm down I will." Ray stopped struggling and tried to control his breathing. "Would you please let me go now." Fraser slowly released his iron grip on Ray.

"The next time you grab me like that Benny, I'm gonna pop you one." "Ray there really wasn't any need for violence. The man obviously doesn't know us or our relationship. You should ignore people like that." "Yeah, you ignore it, I'll straighten his ass out on the subject." Fraser stood calmly looking at Ray. *What if I were homosexual? Would Ray act differently towards me?* There was an uncomfortable silence between the two men as they stood waiting. "Sorry about that Benny." "That's quite all right Ray." Ray could tell that something was still bothering Fraser, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Thatcher and Francesca walked out of the restroom. By the looks on their faces, Ray knew he had bigger trouble coming his way. 

 

Thatcher walked into the rest room and immediately went into a stall. She hadn't wanted to say anything to Ray about having to go to the bathroom. It just seemed...tacky. She heard someone go in the stall next to her. Looking down she saw Francesca's boots. She grinned. Her boots matched Fraser's. All she could picture was Francesca wearing a flannel shirt and then they would look like one of those couples that dressed alike. To her surprise, Francesca began to talk to her while she went to the bathroom.

"So Meg, are you gonna keep seein' my brother?" Meg didn't know whether to answer her or not. Talking to someone while she was going to the bathroom was something that she had never done before. But apparently to Francesca it was a common thing to do. "Are you all right over there Meg?" "Uh...yes. I'm fine." "Oh, O.K. Well are you?" "Um, yes I believe that I will." Pulling her jeans back up, she left the stall and washed her hands. Francesca took a bit longer.

When Francesca finally stepped outside of the stall, she looked a bit upset. Silently walking over to the tampon dispenser, she shoved a quarter in and roughly turn the handle. Snatching the tampon up she walked back into the stall. Thatcher stared at the closed door. *What was that all about?* When she came out again, she washed her hand and then leaning over the sink, she splashed some water on her face. Taking a towel she patted her face dry.

Thatcher looked at Francesca, rather concerned. "Are you O.K.? Should I go and get Fraser for you?" "No!" Thatcher was taken back by the panic in her voice. "No thank you. I'm sorry I snapped. My periods been screwed up for the past month or so. I wasn't due for another week. I can't tell when or where it's gonna' hit me now." *I'm never gonna' get pregnant. I know it!* Wadding the paper towel up she threw it in the trash. *Don't think about it Frannie. It not time yet, that's all.*

With a sigh she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Taking a comb out she did her hair while she talked to Thatcher. *Let's see what she thinks about doin' it with Ray.* "Ya' know, Benton likes to do it alot, but he usually won't initiate it. I think Ray's like that too. He talks alot, but he never goes for it. You know what I mean Meg?" Thatcher stared back at Francesca amazed. "Did you just say..." "Yeah, I did. Benton can go at it non stop. I wouldn't know about Ray though. It's kinda gross thinking about him doing...you know. But thinking about Benton...that I can do." She smiled in the mirror and suppressed a laugh at the look on Thatcher's face.

Thatcher felt uncomfortable, but she was also curious. "Did you say non stop?" Francesca snickered. *I got her now.* "Yup. He's always willing and able if you know what I mean." "I...I believe I would like to go and get that cocoa now." "Sure thing. Hold on a sec O.K." She pulled a small tube of lipstick from her coat pocket and applied it. Blotting her now blood red lips, she smiled in the mirror. With an evil grin, she leaned towards Meg and whispered. "Benton loves red lipstick...especially when I'm given him head."

Francesca choked back her laughter at the shocked look on Thatcher's face and walked calmly out of the bathroom. Thatcher walked out behind her with a dazed expression plastered on her face. She saw Fraser come over and take a hold of Francesca's hand. He seemed to sense something was wrong with Francesca, but as soon as he looked at Thatcher he squinted in confusion. Thatcher lowered her gaze. She couldn't look Fraser in the eye. Staring at the crotch of his jeans, she jerked her head down to look at his boots. All she could picture now was Fraser and Francesca 'performing' together. Fraser's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Are you all right?" Francesca patted his arm and leaned into him, speaking softly. "I think maybe she's on her period." Fraser shook his head slowly. "No Francesca, she is not." Francesca's voice grew louder. "How do you know?" Thatcher jerked her head up to look at the two of them, just as Ray stepped forward. "Know what?" Francesca smiled thinly. "It's nothing important Ray." "Oh." "Come on Benton, let's go get our cocoa." She pulled Fraser away and he turned slightly to look back over his shoulder at Thatcher, only to be jerked forward by Francesca. Ray looked Thatcher over, trying to figure out what was going on. She looked nervous and embarrassed.

Reaching a hand out he touched her arm. "Are you feeling O.K.? You look kinda green around the gills." "Uh...yes. I'm fine." "No something's wrong. What happened in there?" Ray gestured at the rest room. "It's...well your sister said...she's rather blunt when she talks." Ray closed his eyes and sighed heavily. When he looked at Thatcher's face, he knew that Francesca was up to no good. He narrowed his eyes in irritation. "What did Frannie say? Did she say something ignorant to you?"

Thatcher had to think for a moment. It was rather ignorant of Francesca to be discussing hers and Fraser's sex life so casually, but was it a personal attack on her? No. "Not exactly." "What's that supposed to mean?" Ray's voice rose slightly. "Let's say your sister has no problem discussing her personal life with Fraser." Ray's mouth dropped open. "She's telling you about her and Benny? What they do?!" "Yes." Ray took a deep breath. *Don't kill her. Do 'not' kill her.*

He watched as Fraser and Francesca made their way back to them. "Don't worry, I'll fix her. She won't do it again." "Do what Ray?" Ray ignored Fraser and turned directly to Francesca as she sipped her cocoa. "So Meg tells me you've let her in on a few of your sexual preferences Frannie." Fraser's hand paused as he raised his cup to his lips. He looked over at Francesca, waiting for her to answer Ray. She looked nervously back at Fraser and bit her lip. Then with a defiant expression she blurted out her answer. "So." Fraser's face went blank and he took her cup of cocoa and his, setting them on a table beside them. "Could you excuse us please." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Francesca by the hand and pulled her away.

Thatcher frowned at Ray. "That wasn't very nice." "So what. She wasn't nice to you." "But you've embarrassed Fraser in the process." Ray felt a slight pang of guilt, but he pushed it aside. "Yeah...well he should know what Frannie's been up to." "Still, he seems rather upset with your sister." Ray looked over at the pair and watched as Fraser talked to Francesca. He knew Fraser was upset by the way he was gesturing with his hands. Then Francesca snapped something back at him, her face a mask of guilt.

Fraser dropped his hand limply to his sides and stared back at Francesca, his face turning a deep red. His expression was one of disbelief and then his features went blank again. He turned and walked away from her and over to the bench where his skates lay. Picking them up, he walked away from the rink, towards the exit. Francesca stared open mouthed at his retreating figure. She looked back at Ray, her face full of hate and anger. Ray looked back at her, feeling his heart beginning to race. *Oh shit, I've done it now!*

Francesca stormed over to Ray. "I hope you're happy!" Tears were tracking their way down her cheeks as she reached forward and shoved him. "Hey! I'm not the one who goes around telling private stuff to other people! You know Benny hates that!" "You didn't have to say it to him like that...here!" "And you didn't need to tell Meg shit!" "I was only teasing her for Christ's sake!" Francesca was crying loudly at this point, drawing the stares of the other people around them. Thatcher stood slightly to the side of Ray, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

*What a mess. All this over a couple of comments.* Thatcher sighed. It was time to take care of the problem. She was involved after all. "Ray could you possibly go and bring Fraser back?" Ray spun around to look at her, his voice rising. "Why do I always have to go and chase after him? If he didn't run away, none of this would have happened!" "Please." "You know, you're just like him. All you do is tack the word please on the end of an order, making it sound polite. What is that? Some weird Canadian thing you people do up there?"

Thatcher crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at Ray, pursing her lips, she narrowed her eyes. He knew that he was pushing Thatcher too far. She wasn't as nice as Fraser when it came to arguing. Backing away slightly, he brushed his hands nervously over the front of his coat. "I'll be right back." As he walked away from the two women, he tried to think of a way to get Fraser to come back to the rink. He was obviously angry enough at his sister to leave and he also knew how stubborn he could be. *How come I always end up in the middle of all this crap?!*

Turning the corner past the skate rental building, he found Fraser sitting on the ground, with his back against the wall, staring down at his feet. Ray walked over to him, waiting for Fraser to acknowledge him. He wasn't surprised when he was totally ignored. "I'm kinda' surprised you're still here. I figured you'd be halfway home by now." Sitting on the ground next to him, he looked Fraser over. *Yeah he's pissed all right.* His entire body language was tight. His hands were shaking slightly as he played with the laces of the skates in his hands.

Ray tried his hardest not to smile at Fraser, but he couldn't resist. This entire argument was all from Francesca opening her mouth and spilling the beans about their sex life again. *What's the big deal anyway? What was so bad that Benny's this pissed off?* With a slight grin on his face he spoke. "So what did Frannie say to Meg about you two?" Fraser's jaw twitched and he moved to stand, but Ray grabbed him by the coat sleeve, pulling him back down.

"Oh no you don't! You had your chance to leave and you blew it." Fraser settled back against the wall, looking away from Ray, who nudged him with an elbow. "Why'd you stay in the first place?" To his surprise Fraser answered him. "Francesca has said that I avoid conflict too much. I knew if I didn't leave, I'd say something to her that I'd regret later. So I left, but I remembered what she had said...so I didn't go."

Ray's leaned his head back against the wall. "Yeah you do avoid everything Benny. It's not good. You took off instead of yelling at her like you should have." Fraser finally looked at Ray, his expression irritated. "And I have told you that I'm not going to yell at Francesca." Since he finally had Fraser's attention, he pressed on. "What did Frannie say to Meg?" Fraser quickly turned pink. "I'd rather not say." "If you don't tell me, I'll go and ask Meg." Fraser shifted his position on the ground, his hands playing with the laces of his skates once more.

"She...Ray, I can't tell you. It wouldn't be..." "Chivalrous. Yeah, I know. Look, it's not like I'm asking you for details on what you and Frannie do together. I've already seen and heard enough of you two to get and idea of it." "I'm sorry." "Yeah so am I. Come on Benny, tell me what she said. I really don't want to embarrass Meg again by asking her." Clearing his throat nervously, Fraser began to talk. "She...well...it has to do with her lipstick." "Huh? What's that have to do with sex?" Fraser hands began to shake again. "She said...she told Meg that I...prefer for her..." He looked pleadingly at Ray. "Do I really have to tell you this?" "Yup. Either you tell me or I ask Meg." Taking a deep breath, he rapidly spit out his answer. "It has to do with my preference of the color of her lipstick when she performs oral sex."

Ray's eyes widened as he stared at Fraser. "What?!" "I'm not repeating myself Ray." "You mean you like...and Frannie said 'that' to Meg?" Fraser nodded his head yes as he turned a deep shade of red. "Jesus Christ!" Ray ran a hand over his face. "I'm gonna' kill her! What is her fucking problem?! Can't you control her?!" Ray jumped back slightly as Fraser jerked around, his face was tinged with anger. Standing he looked down at Ray.

"No, I can't 'control' Francesca. I believe that she was involved with someone before who did that to her. And I will not do that to her." Turning, he began to walk away from Ray, who got up and jogged to walk by his side. Placing a hand on his arm, he pulled Fraser to a stop. "Benny hold on. I didn't mean it that way." Fraser looked at the skates in his hands, avoiding any eye contact with Ray. "I can't do the things you want me to do Ray. Francesca will say things. I'm going to have to learn somehow to accept it." Sighing, he began to walk again. His voice sounded defeated to Ray's ears. "I'm going home."

Walking over to Francesca, Fraser avoided looking at Thatcher. Pushing his embarrassment aside, he knelt down in front of Francesca, resting a hand gently on her arm. "I'm going to go home. Would you care to join me?" Wiping a hand across her face, she nodded yes. As he stood, she moved up and hugged him, pushing her face into his chest. Her apology muffled in the material of his coat.

Ray went and stood next to Thatcher, who gave him a small smile. "Let me go and return my skates. We can all ride home together." Fraser turned slightly to look over at Ray, his eyes briefly resting on Thatcher's face. "I would prefer to walk." "No, I don't think so Benny. We'll go home the way we came...together. No arguing." The three of them stood uncomfortably, as Ray went and returned his skates. Moving to stand behind Francesca, Fraser wrapped an arm possessively around her waist, pulling her gently against him. He could feel her tenseness slowly lessen.

Francesca looked over at Thatcher, as she wiped at her face with a tissue. "I'm sorry that I said that stuff. I was only teasing you." Thatcher gave her an encouraging smile. "Apology accepted. I think I over reacted slightly. I wasn't prepared for those type of statements. A ghost of a smile appeared as she looked at Fraser. He blushed slightly and tucked his head down. *Well, this will make going to the consulate tomorrow interesting.*

Ray came back to see Fraser's possessive stance and Thatcher standing calmly next to the pair. There didn't seem to be as much tension between them as there was a few minutes ago. "You guys ready to go?" No one answer him, but they moved forward as a group. As they settled into the Riv, Ray looked into the rear view mirror. He had half expected Fraser to avoid any contact with his sister, but there he was holding onto her, talking softly in her ear. He watched them as she hugged Fraser, resting her head against his shoulder. *Damn if I'll ever understand them.*

Pulling the Riv out into traffic, he peeked over at Thatcher, who smiled back at him. *Yeah, something good happened. She's not mad about all this crap.* When they pulled into the driveway and got out of the Riv, they stood together awkwardly. No one knew what to say next. "I guess I should be going home. You'll be eating dinner soon." As Thatcher moved to leave, Francesca putt out a hand to stop her. "I know you're kinda' busy, but would you at least stay for dinner?" "I really don't know if..." "Please?" Ray gave Thatcher a grin. "She did say the magic word. As a Canadian, you can't refuse her invitation now." "If you put it that way, I'd be delighted to stay for dinner." 

 

All through the preparations for dinner and through the meal itself, Francesca watched Fraser . He was slowly closing himself off again. He didn't join in any of the conversation and he would only respond to direct questions. Looking across the table at Ray and Thatcher, she let a smile slip through. Fraser was right. They made a good pair. Their constant chatter concerning police matters and clothing of all things was lively. Apparently fashion mattered to Thatcher as much as it did to her Armani loving brother.

Resting a hand on Fraser's thigh, she felt him start at her touch. As he looked back at her, she could see his discomfort. Quickly withdrawing her hand, she smiled weakly at him and nodded her head in the direction of Ray and Thatcher. Fraser gave a small smile at the sight, but he quickly dropped his head down and resumed poking at his food with his fork. *O.K., he's pouting. I should have expected this from him.*

Leaning closer to Fraser, she whispered to him. "Do you want me to come over tonight?" His eyes briefly rested on her and he sighed, but he didn't answer her. As he sat stiffly beside Francesca, she felt a chill go down her spine. Had she pushed him to far like Maria had said she would? Looking down the table she had her answer. Maria caught her eye, shaking her head, she glared back at Francesca. She quickly looked away from her sister. *Great. Now I'll have her on my ass all night.*

Eating slowly, Francesca replayed the days events over in her head. She really didn't see why Fraser was acting like this. Was it really that big of a deal what she had told Thatcher? *So what if I told Thatcher that he likes sex. Doesn't everyone? God, he is so uptight!* Feeling her anger building, she gave Fraser a dirty look. Raising his eyebrows, he gave her a curious glance. Her whisper to him this time held a biting tone to it. "Fine, you don't want me over. Be a jerk. See if I care." His brow knitted in confused as he looked back at her.

Taking an angry stab at a piece of chicken on her plate, Francesca glanced back at Fraser. He sat perfectly still, watching her. *Jesus Christ! What does he want now?!* She felt the tentative touch of his hand on her thigh and saw the worried look on his face. The tenseness and his unsure movements brought her back to the time before they had begun dating. Back to when Fraser would shy away from her every advance. Setting her fork down, she brought her hand under the table to clasp his. Giving it a small squeeze, she gave him a slight smile. His shy, unsure smile in return made her heart skip a beat. She felt like she was back to square one with him. 

 

Thatcher left shortly after dinner. Francesca had listened to Ray and her in the foyer talking about plans to go out later in the week. Something about a coffee house. As she and Fraser cleared the table, she continued watching him. His movements were stilted and he looked like he was concentrating. On what she didn't know. *He could be thinking of a way to get out of marrying you.* Feeling herself go cold at the thought, she pushed it aside. *Don't be stupid. He would have done it by now. You've done worse things to him before and he hasn't left you.*

They finished the dishes in silence and when they stepped into the foyer together, Francesca headed for the den and Fraser went to pick up his stetson and coat. "Benton? Aren't you gonna' stay for a while?" He looked back at her blankly. "I really should be going home." "Just stay for a a little bit. Do you really have so much to do, that you can't stay for a few hours?" He hesitated and then he placed his coat and stetson back on the hooks, following her into the den.

She waited for Fraser to sit down first. As she settled next to him, she saw that he had his hands tightly clasped in his lap. He hadn't done that in months around her. *You've really messed things up.* Pulling his hands apart, she draped his arm around her and lay her head against his shoulder. Running her hand over his chest in a soothing rhythm, she felt him slowly begin to relax. When she inched her hand down towards his belt, he placed a hand gently over hers. He wasn't about to let her touch him, but at least he didn't slap her hand away. They sat quietly watching the television. Ray had of course commandeered the channel changer. He would flick it between football games. It was annoying as hell, but it didn't seem to bother Fraser one bit.

Looking up at him, she smiled. He was fast asleep. *No wonder he hasn't made a sound in the past hour.* Pushing him back slightly, she curled against his lap and closed her eyes. A nap wasn't a bad idea. Maybe when he woke up, he would be in a better mood. The next thing she knew, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Frannie get up." Ray was leaning over them. Somehow she and Fraser had maneuvered themselves so that they were laying on the sofa together. With sleepy eyes she looked up at Ray.

"What's wrong?" Ray grinned at her. "It's eleven. Benny needs to go home." "No. He's sleeping here." "Oh no he's not, he need to..." "Go away! He's staying here tonight!" Moving back from her angry glare, Ray looked down at the them. Fraser was dead to the world and Francesca curled back against him and closed her eyes. Shaking his head, Ray walked over to a chair and grabbed an afghan. He covered them up, he turned the lights out in the den as he left. 

 

Opening his eyes, Fraser felt slightly disoriented. Blinking a few times, he looked at his surroundings. He was on the sofa, in the den at the Vecchio's house. Francesca's small form was wrapped around him. With a soft smile he brushed his fingers through her hair and touched her cheek. *You possess me so.* Stroking his hand absently over her shoulder, he replayed yesterdays events. Francesca had managed to cause complete turmoil with only a few words. He knew how she could be at times, but she still managed to surprise him by her actions. *But was it really that bad? Did I have to react the way that I did?*

He tried to think. Did he place too many restrictions on what Francesca could or couldn't say? Who was he to decided what was allowable? She confused him. One moment things would be fine and the next...pure chaos. *Am I really that unbending? Am I so backwards in the way that I think, that I need to reevaluate how I act?* Closing his eyes, he thought about the past few months. Ray was right. He was changing. He was letting the city change him. He was growing lax and soft.

It seemed that all he did any more was sit around watching television with Ray and Francesca. Except for the occasional show on Discover or The Learning Channel, he really had no need for television. It was really nothing more than a waste of time as far as he was concerned. He hardly ever went running in the park any more with Diefenbaker. *When was the last time I went out of the city to go hiking?* He was neglecting the house as well. With only a few short weeks before their marriage, there were still a million things to fix in the small home.

Looking down at Francesca's sleeping form, he felt a pang of regret. He wanted to be with her all the time, but he also needed to learn how to control himself again. Nothing good could come of his being so relaxed all the time. Moving slowly, he untangled himself from Francesca's embrace. Covering her back up, he lightly kissed her lips. Leaning in closer placed his cheek against hers, breathing deeply in her scent. He felt his groin tighten slightly, causing him to pull away from her. She controlled him completely without even trying. Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the den.

Walking into the foyer, he found Diefenbaker waiting for him. Grabbing his coat and stetson, they set out to start their day together. It was cold and dark outside. At four-thirty in the morning, no one else was up and about. He stopped at the edge of the driveway and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head of Francesca's essence. The air smelled of ice and the noxious odors that were uniquely Chicago. With a sigh, he began to walk home. *I need to control myself.* He reached his house and walked into the living room. *Now is as good a time to start as any.* Stripping down to his boxers he began a vigorous workout. By the time he was finished, his body was dripping sweat onto the hardwood floor. Pulling his boxers off, he used them to wipe up the sweat. Tossing the dirty clothes into a hamper, he showered and dressed.

Fraser knew that Ray would be by soon to pick him up. Taking one last look in the mirror, he smoothed a stray hair down. He looked fit for duty. A perfect representative of his country. Walking out to the curb he stood, his arms clasped behind his back, which he held ramrod straight. Waiting patiently for Ray, he knew that he was doing the right thing. He had to gain some control back in his life. He only hoped that Francesca would understand. 

 

He heard the motor of the Riv and turned his head slightly in the direction of the vehicle. As Ray pulled up to the curb, he got in, placing his stetson on the dash and politely greeted Ray. "Good morning Ray." "Mornin' Benny. What's up?" "Nothing is up Ray." "Uh huh. Frannie had a cow when she didn't find a note from you this morning. She said you always leave her a note now." *A cow?* "I didn't think to leave one. I will apologize to her this evening." "Is something the matter Benny?" "No Ray."

He stared at Fraser for a few seconds. *Something's wrong, I know it.* Driving to the consulate, Fraser was quiet, only talking when Ray would ask him a direct question. He didn't joke or tease with him, as he had begun doing lately. Pulling the Riv in front of the consulate, Fraser got out and leaned into the car. "Thank you kindly for the ride." "Sure, no problem. I'll be by around five to pick you up." "Thank you Ray. Goodbye."

As Fraser's walked up the steps of the consulate, Ray figured out what was wrong and he didn't like it one bit. Fraser was being the stiff Mountie. He wasn't relaxed as he was a few days ago. He was acting like Constable Fraser, not Benny. *That stubborn son of a bitch.* With a sigh, he drove off to the precinct to start his own day. *I gotta' talk to Frannie about this. Damn it!* 

 

Fraser managed to make it through the day without slipping once. He was easing back into his old persona. Quiet, introspective and restrained. Even when Thatcher called him into her office, he was able to detach himself from the knowledge that she knew intimate details of his personal life. Pushing the outside world aside was easier than before. He could do this. All it would take was a bit of effort on his part and things would be back to normal. 

 

When Ray stopped to pick him up, Fraser felt in control once more. His biggest challenge to this control would come when he went to Ray's house. When he would see Francesca again. Feeling his heart rate increase at just the thought of her, he closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. She had such a hold over his emotions that lately he felt as though he were losing himself in her. Ray jolted him out of his revere.

"Benny are you O.K.?" They had stopped and Ray had parked the Riv in front of Fraser's house. He would walk over to the Vecchio's after he had changed. Ray was going to wait for him, but he had begged off his staying there. He had wanted to do some things before he went over to the Vecchio residence. "Yes Ray, I'm feeling quite well thank you." Getting out of the Riv, he waved to him as he walked into the house.

Stripping off his uniform, he neatly folded everything as he set it in the hamper. He had gotten into the habit of throwing things in the hamper in a big pile. Francesca had chided him for folding his soiled laundry before. What was the point she had said. The point was 'he' wanted things neat and orderly. He had changed that because of something she had said. *If I want to fold my laundry when it's dirty, that should be up to me and not Francesca.*

He spent the next half hour working out. Sit ups and push ups dominated his time. He would go running later. Taking a shower, he sniffed the bar of soap that she had place in the holder. She had insisted that he stop using the standard issue Mountie soap. Watching her throw the bar of soap away and place her soap in the shower he had said nothing at the time. It was acceptable, but he missed the soap that he had used for most of his life. His father had brought it home and he used it as a child. Something as simple as that bar of soap made him feel at home.

Turning the water off he dripped a trail down the hall and into the bedroom. Digging though his dresser he found a bar of 'his' soap'. Holding it up to his face he took a deep breath and smiled. Francesca could use her soap and he would use his. He didn't have to bend on everything. It would be all right to disagree on something as trivial as this. She would just have to accept that he wasn't going to do everything that she wanted, all the time. Walking back to the shower he lathered up, feeling better than he had in days. 

 

After he dressed, Fraser began his walk to the Vecchio's. Diefenbaker trotted along side of him, sniffing at everything in their path, marking his territory. He had noticed that since he and Dief had moved into the neighborhood, most of the surrounding people had begun keeping their pets off of the street. There weren't as many piles of dog litter on the sidewalk or street. With a small smile Fraser shook his head. They all were under the impression that Dief was a wild and viscous animal. They had never seen him curled up on a bed with the children sleeping contentedly.

The closer they got to the Vecchio's house, the more nervous he got. Diefenbaker cast a glance at him, making a sharp wuffing sound. "Oh really? I'm being ridiculous? You can say that. Everything that has happened is only benefiting you. I think you must have gained four pounds since I have begun seeing Francesca. You need to go on a diet mister!" Diefenbaker barked sharply at him. "No! I'm not going to argue with you. Starting tomorrow, you are going on a strict diet. No ice cream, no table food and most importantly, no chocolate."

On the last comment, Diefenbaker tore off down the road. "He thinks he's going to outsmart me. I'll show him." As he walked closer to the house he saw Dief jump up on the door. Seconds later, Francesca opened it and Diefenbaker ran in. The closer he got to her, the more he felt his control beginning to slip. She was standing out on the porch, her arms hugged around her small frame for warmth. She was staring at him as he approached, her face clearing showing how upset she was. Stepping onto the porch...his control completely caved in.

Reaching out, he pulled her into a tight hug, picking her up off the floor. Carrying her back into the foyer he closed the door and set her back down. He was rewarded with a big smile from her. "You had me worried Benton. You didn't leave me a note or anything this morning. I thought something happened to you." "I'm sorry, I won't forget again." "You better not." Wrapping her arms around him, she squeezed him tightly. "I missed you today. You didn't even call me." With a guilty feeling he returned her hug. "I'm sorry." "That's O.K. You're here now, that's all that's important."

Pulling his head down to hers, she kissed him. It was a soft tender kiss. Releasing him, she grinned and led him into the kitchen. Pulling him over to the sink she grinned again. "Wash your hands. I'm going to put you to work." Before he had a chance to even dry them, she thrust a paring knife and a potato in his hands. They stood closely, peeling a huge mound of potatoes. Peeking up at Fraser, Francesca tried to judge his mood. He wasn't angry at her, she could tell that much. But he seemed tight. Like he wanted to do or say something, but he was holding back.

"So how was work today?" "It was fine." "Fine? That's it?" "My duties are not all that exciting. I prepared the schedule for the next consular event." Ray lifted his head up from the pot of pasta he was stirring. "Yeah? Who's coming this time?" She leaned towards Fraser and whispered. "Maybe Ray, if you let him take your place again." She saw Fraser bite his lip, trying not to laugh. "What did you say Frannie?" "Nothing Ray."

Fraser kept his head down, hiding his smile. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw Francesca grinning at him. "The consular staff from Sweden will be attending as will several others. It's a trade agreements discussion." "Yeah? I hope it's not like the last one. That was a mess." "I'm certain it won't be like that Ray."

Fraser watched Ray shake some garlic powder in the sauce cooking on the stove. "So do you think you'll go to this one?" Francesca snickered and Ray gave her a dirty look. Fraser looked up at Ray. "I'm sure Inspector Thatcher wouldn't mind you taking my place again." "Really? You don't care if I go? I mean, not to sound pushy, but I had a good time at the last one." Francesca whispered to Fraser again. "He's hoping this one will be even better...ending in Meg's bed." Fraser smiled and quickly made his face blank again.

"I will ask her if it would be possible for you to take my place. I'm sure Constable Turnbull can take care of the official requirements. You could entertain the Inspector." Francesca let out a laugh. "Ha ha Benny. I'll have you know, I was a great host the last time. You know, I think I'll buy a new suit for this one. I don't want to look stale. Do you know what she's wearing?" "No Ray, I do not. When I ask her if you can take my place, I'll have her discuss your and hers attire. I'm sure you'll be able to coordinate your evening wear."

Ray gave Fraser a dirty look as he dropped several garlic cloves in the sauce. "It didn't take you too long for you to be back to being a smart ass did it Benny?" Fraser grew silent again, dropping his head down to look at the half peeled potato in his hand. Francesca glared back at Ray and moved closer to Fraser. In a low voice she talked to him. "Tell him to piss off Benton." He shook his head no. "Do it, you'll feel better if you do." "No." "What am I going to do with you?" Even with his head down, Francesca could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. Nudging him lightly on the arm she smiled. "You're bad." "What did he say Frannie?" "Nothing." "Yeah I bet."

As they continued preparing dinner, Francesca watched Fraser. She watched him because he didn't talk. He observed what everyone else was doing or saying. He was the normal helpful Mountie that he always was and that was the problem. Sitting next to him at the table, she noticed he avoided any physical contact with her. Ever since Ray chided him in the kitchen, he had stopped any type of playing. When she rested her leg against his under the table, he shifted away from her. And as soon as he helped her finish cleaning up after dinner, he wanted to go home.

"Is there a problem Benton?" He hesitated before speaking. That was a dead give away that there was a problem. "No Francesca, there is not a problem. I would like to go running this evening and then I have some things to do around the house." "I can go running with you and I can help you with the house." He looked back at her and then looked away. "I don't...I would prefer to spend some time with just Diefenbaker and take him running with me. I've been neglecting him lately." Diefenbaker walked over and nuzzled Fraser's hand. Running his fingers through his fur, Fraser smiled, but it faded as he looked back at Francesca.

"So you don't want to come with you?" "No." His blunt reply startled her. "No?" "Francesca, I need to...do things. Every evening I come over here and eat dinner. Then we go and sit in the den. I've been neglecting certain aspects of my life." She snorted. "Before me, you didn't have a life." Seeing the hurt on his face made her feel slightly guilty, but her irritation with him for acting this way quickly pushed the guilt aside. "What did you have before me? You sat in that dump of an apartment reading. Or you'd go help Ray out at work. Excuse me for pointing it out to you, but you had nothing!"

He stared back at her, his face slightly flushed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow Francesca. Good night." Without giving her a kiss or a hug, he left her standing alone in the foyer. Turning sharply on her heal, she went back into the kitchen. Yanking open the freezer, she pulled out a container of chocolate mocha ice cream. Slamming it on the table, she grabbed a spoon and began eating from the container. Ray walked in a few minutes later. *Oh boy. She's got the ice cream out.* Taking a look around the room he knew what was wrong. "What did you do to him this time?"

Rolling her eyes, she talked in a heated voice. "I didn't do anything. He's the one acting goofy. He said he has 'stuff' to do." "Stuff?" "Yeah. Some crap about going running with Diefenbaker and working on the house." "And you got mad at him for that?" "No...yes...kinda'" "Which is it?" "Well...yes I got mad! He blew me off Ray. All that shit the other night about missing me and now he wants to be alone. I don't understand him." "Frannie, have you ever stopped to think that maybe he's feeling smothered?" "Yeah right. mister I'm so lonely feels smothered by my attention. I don't think so."

Ray laughed at her and grabbed a spoon. Sitting beside Francesca, he began to eat the ice cream. "What's his problem Ray? Why is he acting like this? He's didn't want to be alone and now he wants time to himself. I don't get it." "Don't look at me. I still can't figure him out. He hides too much shit." "I know. I don't like it. He was starting to open up alot and now he's kinda' closing off again." They sat eating the ice cream in silence. After a few more mouthfuls she dropped her spoon noisily on the table.

"This is stupid. I'm going out." "Where?" Francesca waved her hands in the air. "I don't know. Anywhere. I think I'll call Kassie and see if she wants to go to the movies or something. I'm not going to sit around the house waiting for him. Don't stay up, I might be out late." "O.K. See ya' later. Be careful." "I will, tell Ma I went out." "No problem." Francesca left the kitchen and Ray cleaned up the mess on the table. Walking back into the den he sat and tried to figure out the puzzle that was Benton Fraser. 

 

After two days of Fraser's polite avoidance, Francesca had enough. Walking into the consulate, she looked around the hall in confusion. There were stairs and several doors. She had never been there before and she had no idea where Fraser's office was. Thatcher came out of her office and saw a confused looking Francesca standing in the hall. Walking over to her, she smiled. "How are you today Francesca." "I'm fine. How about yourself?" "I'm quite well thank you. Could I help you with something?"

Holding a paper bag up she grinned. "Yeah. Where's Benton's office. I brought him lunch." "He's down the hall, towards the left. He's in the last office." "Thanks." Walking down the hall, she thought about what she would say. She had debated waiting until after he came home from work, but he was getting too good at avoiding her. It had to stop. Standing in front of the door, she squared her shoulders and walking in without knocking.

He looked up at her clearly startled. Quickly standing he cracked his knee on the desk he was sitting at. She smiled at that. He was nervous as hell. *He said he use to do that with Thatcher and now he's doing it with me. He's up to something.* She looked around the room. It was a small, cramped work space. His desk was as neat as a pin and the boxes that were stacked around the room where in perfect alignment. But it was so...small.*No wonder he helps Ray out all the time. He must go bonkers trapped in here.*

"Hello Benton." "Good afternoon Francesca." He stood by his desk looking decidedly uncomfortable. *He should wear the brown uniform more often. He looks good enough to eat.* Letting her gaze roam slowly over him, she watched as he fidgeted. Smiling, she held the paper bag out to him. "I brought you lunch." "You didn't have to go to all that trouble Francesca. I could have gone out to purchase my lunch." "Oh it was no trouble at all."

Walking over to his desk, she sat on the corner, dangling a leg through her coat. She bit back a laugh as Fraser blatantly stared at said leg. Moving it back and forth she watched as his eyes followed her shoe. "We need to talk Benton." His head jerked up to look at her face, his cheeks tinged a slight pink. "We can talk tonight if you would like." "No, I want to talk to you now." He could tell that there would be no use in arguing with her. "What would you like to talk about?"

"What's wrong Benton? I want the truth too. No stories, no avoiding the question, no excuses." "Nothing is..." "You can't lie to me period, so don't even try. What's wrong?" Sitting back in his chair, Fraser picked a pen up and twisted it nervously in his fingers. "I really don't know. Things have changed so quickly and I find myself changing as well. I don't know if it's good." Running a hand through his hair he looked up at her, his face serious. "I believe that I am getting soft. Living like this is changing me."

Francesca's mouth dropped open. "What?! Wait a minute! You've been acting goofy now for the past four days because you think you're getting soft? Jesus, Benton! Of course you're changing! We all are! Look at Ray and Meg. Look at me. Things change Benton." "But is it necessarily good? By my actions I have repeatedly hurt you and offended Ray. I never did any of those things before." She couldn't help it. She laughed in his face. "You've hurt me? So? I've hurt you. Life isn't perfect and it's not always nice. You of all people should know this already." Hopping off of the desk, she walked around and sat in his lap.

Wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders she looked him directly in the eye. "There's nothing wrong with changing. I like the fact that you've opened up. People are finally starting to know that you have feelings. That beneath the uniform and that stiff exterior of yours, you have a sick sense of humor. You've lived here for over two years and everyone is just starting to get to know you." Taking a hand, she ran it lightly through his hair. "You've had me worried. I thought I did something to you that was making you fall out of love with me. I thought you were changing your mind about this."

Taking the ring off her finger, Francesca held it out to Fraser. "Do you want it back or do you still love me?" Her heart skipped a beat and she felt herself grow cold when he reached out and took the ring from her. She couldn't believe that it was happening. She had been right after all. He was having second thoughts. She watched him as he stared at the ring. Then he slowly took her hand and placed it back on her finger. His face was one of sadness and regret. "No I do not want it back. I want you." Pulling her into a hug he rested his head on her shoulder. "I am so sorry Francesca. I didn't mean to make you feel like this."

Hugging him tightly to her, she closed her eyes, trying not to cry. When he had taken the ring, she felt her whole world crumble beneath her. "There's nothing to be sorry about. We need to talk to each other when there's something bothering you. Or me." Pulling away slightly she gently smiled at him. "You're not alone anymore. You have to remember that. It's we, not I anymore. I know this is hard for you. You've always been alone, but things change and it's good." "I'm sorry." Giving him a another hug, she got out of his lap. "Benton, you have to learn not to apologize for everything you do. We make mistakes too. There's nothing wrong with that either. You don't have to be the perfect Mountie twenty-four hours a day ya' know." "Yes, I know. But it's hard to not...try."

Reaching forward she straightened his tie. "You know you look really good in this uniform. You should wear it more often." "I would, but Inspector Thatcher places me on guard duty on a regular basis." Frowning, she looked him over. He saw the look she was giving him. "What's wrong?" "You're her little show piece. Maybe once Ray starts bending her over her desk, she'll stop using you." He sighed. "Francesca, she is not using me." "Uh huh. You look damn good and you make the building look better. I've seen all the people who stop and take their picture with you. Especially the young women." Fraser blushed slightly. "How do you know this?" "I use to go over to the office building across the street and watch you. How can you stand still like that? My eyes would dry out and my back would be killing me."

Fraser stared at her and laughed. "You would watch me?" She smiled back at him. "Sure. Why not? What else did I have to do? Besides, you admitted that you looked at me at work all the time. It was just easier for you to do it." Looking down at her watch, her smile faded to a frown. "I've got to go. I have an appointment with the doctor." She saw the slight look of panic on his face the moment her words were spoken. "Is something wrong? Are you ill?"

Buttoning her coat up she looked down at the floor to avoid his worried gaze. "I started my period the other day when we went skating and it stopped yesterday. I wasn't due until next week. Something's not right." Standing, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him, giving her a light kiss on the top of her head. "Your doctor had said that there was nothing wrong." "I know, but I have to make sure. I've never had any problems before. It's not right."

They stood together silently for a few minutes and with a sigh, Francesca slowly pulled away from Fraser. "I have to go. I packed you an orange, a sandwich and some pickles. Ma insisted on the piece of cake." "Thank you." He gave her another hug and backed away. "You will let me know if anything's wrong? You did say we should start talking more to each other about things." "Yeah, I will."

Holding her hand, he walked her outside and hailed a cab. Leaning in he gave her a kiss. "Call me when you get home." "I will. See you tonight?" "Yes. I believe I can come over and stay for a while tonight." Watching the cab pull away and disappear down the street, he frowned. The idea of something happening to Francesca made his blood run cold. She was right. He needed to stop being so closed off. There wasn't anything wrong with him changing. he just needed to make sure he wasn't doing anything to hurt anyone by his actions. He and Francesca still had alot to talk about, but he no longer felt that tight feeling in his chest that he had for the past few days. It would take some time to adjust to the changes in his life, but he was sure that with Francesca's help, he could do it. 

 

Walking back into the consulate, Fraser heard voices coming from Thatcher's office. They were low and when he heard Thatcher's laughter he definitely knew it wasn't an official visit. He stood perfectly still straining to hear the ongoing conversation. *That's Ray!* Looking around, he cautiously moved closer to her office. Chastising himself for eavesdropping, he almost left, but Ray's voice was loud to his sensitive hearing. And the topic apparently concerned himself.

"I really appreciate this Meg. Benny's gonna' love his bachelor party." "Yes, going to the Leafs game was a good idea." *The Leafs game? That is where they're taking me?* "Yeah, I'm glad I mentioned it to you 'cause there's no way I could have gotten tickets to this thing. It's sold out. I figured I'd ask Huey, Dewey and Welsh. Keep it small." "That sounds acceptable." "You know I really owe you for this. What can I do to repay you?" "Oh, I think I can think of something."

Fraser listened intently. There wasn't any more talking only movements in the office. His eyebrows went up in surprise at first and then he smiled. *They're kissing!* Taking a step forward he stopped and then moved forward again only to stop once more. Fraser's indecision was obvious. *I can do this. Change is good. I'm not hurting anyone by doing this.* He took a deep breath. Striding forward, Fraser knocked sharply on Thatcher's door and opened it before anyone could make a reply.

Keeping his expression neutral, he watched Ray and Thatcher jump apart. "Oh. Pardon me, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll come back later." Closing the door, Fraser smiled. It felt good for Ray to be on the receiving end of a surprise for once. As he walked down the hall he let out a small chuckle. It was worth any amount of yelling he would get from either Thatcher or Ray, just for him having been able to see their embarrassed expressions at being caught together.

Looking at the desk in the front office he saw the dejected looking face of Turnbull. He almost ignored the obviously upset man. He knew that it was ridiculous, but he had felt uneasy around Turnbull ever since Francesca had admitted to him that she use to ogle the man's posterior. He felt a surge of embarrassment wash over him as he looked at Turnbull. He was jealous of a man who seemed to be even more out of place than himself.

Fraser walked over to Turnbull who was staring down at his desk blotter. "Are you all right Turnbull?" His head jerked up and his sad face stared back at Fraser. "It's horrible Sir, truly horrible." The pain of his situation was etched on his features and his hands were twisting themselves together. "Has someone died?" Turnbull's voice was tear filled. "No! Oh no Sir. It's almost as bad. I...it's horrible! The Leafs are in for their last game of the season and I couldn't get tickets. The game is sold out!"

Squinting his eyes, Fraser cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You can't get tickets to the game?" "Yes Sir. Normally I could find a pair, but I delayed and...oh God!" He threw himself down on his desk, sobbing uncontrollably. Backing slowly away from him, Fraser spoke. "You have my condolences." Turning, he quickly made his way back to his office. He loved hockey, but Turnbull was obsessed with the Leafs.

Sitting in his office, Fraser pulled out a folder and began working. He hadn't even gotten past the first page when Ray barged into. "What is the matter with you?!" "Excuse me Ray?" "No Benny! There's no excuse! You did that on purpose!" Keeping his face innocent, he made his reply to Ray in a bland tone. "Did what Ray?" He watched as Ray clenched his fists and closed his eyes. It was a struggle for him to not laugh. *Do not smile. If you smile, he'll only get worse.*

"Can I help you in any way? You seem upset by something." Ray's eyes snapped open and he stared back at Fraser with his mouth open. "You are unreal! This is all Frannie's fault. She's made you like this." "Like what Ray?" Ray waved a hand in disgust at Fraser. "Forget it. I'll see you later." As he walked towards the door, an idea popped into Fraser's head. "Ray!" Wheeling back around Ray looked startled. "What?!" "I need you to do me a favor." "Oh, what's new there?" "Ray there is no need for sarcasm. It's not for me, it's for Constable Turnbull." "Let me get this straight. You want me to do a favor for Turnbull?" "Yes Ray. I..."

Fraser hesitated when he realized that the favor he was about to ask would let Ray know that he had been eavesdropping on him and Thatcher. *Oh dear.* "Spit it out Fraser, I don't have all day." Looking at Ray's irritated face, he then thought of Francesca's comments about Turnbull. If he didn't know about any of that, would he have hesitated in making this request of Ray? Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for Ray's reaction.

"I apologize, but I heard you and Inspector Thatcher discussing my bachelor party and..." "You eavesdropped again?!" He managed to look slightly guilty. "Yes Ray. I didn't do it purposely this time, at least it started out accidental..." Ray's face turned from irritated to angry. "You've ruined it! Do you know how much trouble Meg and I went to? You ruined it!" "I am sorry and I apologize again Ray, but I have a request to make of you." "Yeah. You're always making demands. You're a selfish bastard you know that don't you?"

With a sigh he reached down and picked up a pen from his desk, nervously fidgeting with it. "I'm sorry Ray." "Whatever. What do you want this time?" Looking back at Ray, he spoke. "I would like for you to invite Constable Turnbull to come along with us. If that is possible." Ray was a bit surprise by his request. "Why? Why Turnbull? You don't hang out with him." "I don't 'hang out' with Huey, Dewey or the Leftenant either." "But Turnbull?"

Fraser tugged at his earlobe. "He is distraught Ray. He can't find tickets to the Leafs game and they are his favorite team. Could you find a way to somehow include him in this outing?" Using his wide eyed innocent Mountie look, he stared silently at Ray. "Jesus Christ! O.K., I'll ask him." "Thank you kindly Ray. You're going to make him an extremely happy man. I'll cover any additional costs for his coming with us." "There's no extra cost, don't worry about it." "But..." "I said don't worry about it!" "Thank you Ray." "Yeah, yeah. I be back around five to pick you up."

Ray walked out of Fraser's office and down the hall, heading straight for Turnbull. *Geez he looks pathetic.* His head was down, resting in his hands. His shoulders slumped. "Hey Turnbull." He jerked, sitting up straight. "Oh. I apologize. I didn't hear you coming." *What is this shit with them saying they're sorry all the time?* "Hey, no problem. Look. I'm going to be having a bachelor party for Fraser and I'd like for you to go." Turnbull perked up slightly. "Really? Why thank you for asking me. I would be honored to attend. May I inquire as to where we are taking Constable Fraser?" He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. "Are we going to the strip bars on the east side?"

Ray clamped his mouth shut. *How in the hell does he know about the strip bars?!* "Uh...no, we're not going there. We'll be taking him to the Leafs game this Saturday." Turnbull jumped up and out of his chair, running around to the front of his desk. Grabbing Ray, he effortlessly picked him up, hugging him so hard that Ray thought he cracked a rib. "Oh God, thank you!" Ray voice was strained. "Turnbull...put me...down."

Turnbull dropped him like a rock and Ray tumbled to the carpet. "Oh dear!" Turnbull hurriedly hauled Ray back to his feet and dusted the front of his jacket off. "I am so sorry Detective Vecchio." He nervously backed away from Ray. As he straightened his tie, Ray looked at the now ecstatic face of Turnbull. "We'll be by around five thirty to pick you up. Be prepared to have fun. And bring money for drinks and stuff like that." "Yes indeedy I will. Thank you again!" As Ray walked out of the consulate he shook his head. *They are freaks.* A smile made it's way back to his face. *Now Meg...that's another story.* 

 

Ray picked Fraser up promptly at five. Sliding into the passenger seat, he looked expectantly at Ray. "Were you able to talk to Constable Turnbull?" "Didn't you see the guy skipping around the consulate?" "No, I was rather busy and Inspector Thatcher had placed him on guard duty the entire afternoon." "Well there's your answer." "I don't understand?" Ray grinned slightly. "I bet you any amount of money he was so irritating that Meg put him on duty to calm him down." "Ah. The you did ask him." "Yeah I did. I thought the moose was gonna kill me."

Fraser cocked his head to the side as he looked back at Ray. "Moose?" "Oh yeah. As soon as I asked him, he up and grabbed me. I couldn't breathe. What in the hell do they feed you guys up north anyway?" "We basically eat the same things that you do Ray. Meats, fruits, grains, vegetables..." "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "Shut up." "Understood."

Stopping at Fraser's long enough for him to get changed, Ray walked over to the stereo system sitting on top of an old cabinet. Spread around the room were various pieces of wood, screws and cans of varnish. As Fraser came back down the stairs Ray gestured at the mess. "You do know that Frannie will be moving in soon." "Yes Ray, I know. That's why I'm trying to get this all done at one time." "What exactly are you gonna' do?" "Lots of things Ray." "Oh boy. Here you go again keeping secrets. And what's with the stereo?" "I bought it for Francesca, she likes..." "You're gonna spoil her Benny." Fraser smiled. "I know." Shaking his head Ray walked to the door. "Let's go, I'm hungry." 

 

As they entered the foyer, Fraser saw Francesca and Maria coming out of the kitchen, heading for the dining room with the plates and silverware. Francesca smiled at Fraser as she passed through the foyer. Taking their jackets off, Ray went into the kitchen and Fraser walked into the dining room. He immediately took the silverware from Francesca's hands and began setting the table. He waited until Maria left the room before talking to her.

"How was your doctor's visit today?" "She said there's nothing wrong with me. She took another blood sample though and she's sending it to the lab. She'll let me know if it's something hormonal." "Then I wouldn't worry about it." "Benton, you don't understand. I've never had any problems. Ever. And now all of a sudden I'm irregular. Something's not right." "Didn't your doctor say this could be a result of stress?" Francesca looked down and straightened the tablecloth. "Yes." "And have you been under a bit of stress as of late." "Kinda."

Wrapping her in a hug, Fraser ran his hand gently over her back. "There's nothing to worry about Francesca. You said your doctor is perfectly competent. If there is a problem we will deal with it then." Hugging him tightly, she closed her eyes. "But what if there's something wrong? What if I can't..." She tucked her head tightly against his shoulder. "Can't what Francesca?" Her voice was muffled as she pressed her face into him. "What if I can't have any children?"

Pulling back slightly from her, he cupped her chin and lifted her face up. "I love you, Francesca. I'm not marrying you for the sole purpose of having children." "But what if I can't?" Sighing he ran his fingers gently across her cheek as he looked into her eyes. "Then we will deal with that also." "I might not be able to have any Benton. I mean I've been with...well to be blunt you already knew I wasn't a virgin when you slept with me." Fraser chuckled. "Yes I figured since you were married before you weren't."

She hit him lightly on the chest and smiled. "You know what I mean. I've been with more than one person." He shrugged his shoulders. "As have I." "Yeah, but there was never a chance of you getting pregnant." "No, but there was always the chance of my impregnating my partner." Francesca squinted at him. "Did you always use protection?" His hesitation gave her the answer. "Jesus, Benton. Do you have any kids out there already?" "Not that I know of. I think that if I did, the mother would have come forward by now." "Oh that's a good way to tell. What if they never told you?" He slowly released her and gripped the back of a chair, his expression contemplative. "I have never really given it any thought Francesca. It's been so long ago. I'm sure I would have been contacted in some manner by now."

"This is just great Benton. Are we gonna get a visit someday by a strange kid knocking on our door, asking if you're his Dad?" "I don't know Francesca." She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. "O.K. I'll use your words. I guess we'll deal with it. If it happens." He gave her a guilty look. "I'm sorry. I just didn't think about any of that at the time. My life was...different then." "Yeah, I'll bet it was." As she looked at him, she noticed his whole body was tense and expression was sad. *There's more to this. He's not telling me something.*

She was about to ask Fraser what was wrong when Maria walked back into the room carrying a big pot. Fraser walked quickly over to her and took it. "Thanks. That thing's heavy. You two want to help bring out the rest of the stuff or are you going to talk all night?" "We'll help. Come on Benton. We can finish our 'talk' later." *He can avoid me now, but not forever.* 

 

After dinner they settled on the sofa together. Francesca noticed that Fraser was keeping quiet again. They spoke in low voices. "What's the matter?" "Nothing." She stared back at him as she curled up against him. "Well...I have been thinking about what you had said earlier. I'm sure that I have no wayward children." "Wayward?" Snickering she pinched him. "Ow! What was that for?" "Wayward. What kind of word is that?" As he opened his mouth to explain the definition she reached up and kissed him. Pulling back she grinned. "I don't need you telling me what it means." "Oh."

"Ya' know Benton. If you do have a kid, I guess it wouldn't be so bad. I mean it's not like we'd have to raise it or anything. I mean how old would they be by now?" "Approximately ten to twelve years..." "You don't have any kids then. If I were the mother I would have hunted you down by now." She leaned against him and picked at his shirt. "Remember what I was talking about earlier? About me not being a virgin?" "Yes." "Well...I didn't always use protection either. And I never got pregnant. I mean I was usually careful. But there were a few times that I didn't and nothing happened. What if I'm...sterile?"

Fraser slouched down on the sofa and pulled her into his lap, ignoring the dirty look he saw Ray give him. "Francesca, it doesn't matter." "You keep saying that now, but what about later? If I can't have any kids...you might want to leave me." He looked down at her, a gentle smile on his lips. "Francesca, the only way that I am ever going to leave you for good is when I die." Pulling her to him, he kissed her. As she responded to him, they wrapped their arms tightly around one another.

"Yo! Knock it off!" Jerking apart, Francesca glared at Ray. Fraser looked blankly back at him and then a smile slowly appeared on his face. Ray immediately froze. He stared at Ray as he spoke. "Francesca, did I tell you that I caught Ray and Meg engaged in a passionate embrace in her office today?" Francesca sat up and smiled evilly at Ray. "No you didn't Benton. Geez Ray. You were making out with her at work? How unprofessional!" "Yes they were Francesca. And Ray, I may have been mistaken, but wasn't your hand in a rather inappropriate area at the time? And I believe that there was quite a bit of tongue involved." "No! Ray, how could you?!"

He stared back at Fraser and Francesca dumbfounded. His mouth had dropped open the moment Fraser began teasing him. He clamped it shut and then glared at them. "You think you're slick. Well I'll have you know, we haven't done anything to be ashamed of. No one has caught us doing the horizontal mambo." Francesca laughed. "Yet." All three faces twisted towards the back of the room as Mrs. Vecchio spoke. "Who is doing the horizontal mambo? Is that a new dance?" "Uh...no Ma. It's nothing. We were just joking." She looked at Francesca who was smiling at Ray's discomfort. "Benton, is this true?" His eyes widened and he blushed. "Uh...not exactly Ma." "Then what is it?" Fraser looked to Ray and Francesca for help and they both looked back at him in a panic.

Letting out the breath that he had been holding, he explained to her what it meant. "It means two people are involved in a sexual manner." Mrs. Vecchio looked at him and nodded her head. "I had thought so. Raymondo. If you are to be doing this mambo with Miss Thatcher, I would expect that you intend to marry her. Am I correct?" Ray's face turned red as he swallowed nervously. "Uh...Ma...I don't know if we..." "If you have no intentions of marriage, I would suggest that you do not...mambo with her." Ray gave her a guilty look. "Yes Ma." Standing, she excused herself and left the room.

Francesca burst into laughter the moment she heard the click of her mother's bedroom door. "Oh my God! That was too funny! She busted you Ray!" "Shut up Frannie! And you!" He turned his glare back on Fraser. "Why in the hell did you have to tell her what it meant?!" "Ray she asked me. I couldn't lie to her." "So Ray." "What?!" "If you mambo with Meg, will you marry her?" "Shut up!" Francesca laughed again. "You haven't done it with her already have you?" "You make me sick!" Ray stood up and stomped out of the room.

Francesca snickered and leaned against Fraser. "Now that he's gone...do ya' wanna' continue what 'we' were doing?" His answer was his arms going around her, feeling herself being pushed back onto the sofa. With a sigh she knew things were better. Fraser had actually tormented Ray. *Now if I can only get him to do the mambo tonight things will be perfect.* 

 

Moving her hand down his back, Francesca inched her fingers into Fraser's jeans, gently squeezing his ass. She felt him push against her as he nibbled at her neck. "Benton, do you maybe wanna...mess around?" She felt his body shaking as he laughed silently. His whisper in her ear tickled her and she laughed in return. "I believe my answer is...yes." Pushing himself up on his elbows, Fraser looked down at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. Looking around the room he smiled. "If we hurry up we can leave before Ray comes back."

Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she pulled him back down to her. Running her fingers through his hair she kissed him slowly, but thoroughly. When she released him, he looked a bit dazed. "I don't want to leave. Let's do it here." "Here?" "Yes. Right here. Now." Shaking his head, Fraser laughed at her again. "No Francesca, I think not. The prospect of Ray coming back in and finding us is not something I would like to experience." He smile grew bigger. "Again." She bit her lip and then smiled. "My room?" He hesitated and then quickly got up and pulled her to her feet. "I guess that means yes?"

They walked softly up the stairs and into Francesca's bedroom. The moment she locked the door, Fraser grabbed her and threw her on the bed. Stifling her giggles Francesca grinned up at Fraser as he pulled off his shirt and crawled up onto the bed. Laying beside her, he leaned on an elbow and looked her over expectantly. "What?" "Aren't you going to remove your clothing?" "Nope. You can do it for me."

Rolling over so that he knelt above her, Fraser cupped his chin in his hand. "Well Benton, what are you waiting for?" On her cue he reached down and pulled her shirt over her head, but he left her arms tangled in the sleeves above her head. "You're not funny." Smiling, he tied her sleeves to the bed post. "What do you think you're doing?" With out a word, he moved off of her and pulled off her jeans and socks, leaving only her cream colored underwear on.

Trailing small kisses down her torso and thighs, he continued his path downward until he reached her feet. Craning her neck to look at what he was doing she started laughing. "You are not serious!" Pulling a leg up to his face, Fraser licked her foot and then kissed it, watching Francesca squirm on the bed. "Stop it Benton! That tickles!" "Francesca, you need to be quiet. Ray will hear us." Releasing her foot he smiled once more. Maneuvering himself above her, he reached down and began to gently knead the flesh of her stomach and thighs, letting his hand trail teasingly over the crotch of her underwear.

She bit her lip and gasped involuntarily as he slid his hand into her underwear and rubbed at her sex slowly and deliberately. He kissed her, lightly running his tongue over her lips, but the moment she reached with her own tongue to touch his, he pulled away. Yanking her arms above her head, Francesca tried to free herself. She didn't like his playing games with her like this. He was teasing her.

Her moments stopped when he pushed a finger into her. Then a second joined the first. Pulling his hand away from her, he stripped her underwear off and moved his hand back to her sex. With agonizing slowness he reinserted his finger, moving it slowly in and out of her. A second finger joined the first. Increasing his movements, Fraser smiled as Francesca moved her hips against his hand. Shifting his position, Fraser kissed her sex as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers. Her tiny gasps and moans told him that she liked what he was doing. But the tightness in the crotch of his jeans begged to be sated as well.

With a sigh of disappointment, Francesca watched as he rolled off the bed and stripped off the remainder of his clothing. He looked at her questioningly as he lay on top of her and rocked his body slowly back against hers. Kissing her, he pulled back and searched her face. Wordlessly she nodded her heard yes. Reaching a hand out to the night stand by the bed, he withdrew a Lucky13 from a pile of condoms. She laughed at the look of surprise on his face. "Yes, I bought those at the sex toy party." As Fraser rolled the condom on he grinned and looked down at Francesca who had a smirk on her face. "I know it's a little bizarre. They're textured 'for my pleasure' as the label says." He picked the foil wrapper back up and read the label. "Courser's...for her pleasure." Looking at the textured dark green condom, Fraser shook his head. "Whatever happened to the plain ones? Why the need for this?" He gestured down at himself as he spoke.

Laughing Francesca tried again to free her arms. After a few second she gave up. "Because Benton, it makes sex more interesting. You should see the glow in the dark zzzaneys that Kassie bought." "Glow in the dark?" "Yeah. As big as you are, if you wore one, we wouldn't need to leave the light on." She laughed as Fraser's blushed slightly. "That's not funny Francesca." "Oh yes it is." "Well...let us put this to the test. We will see if it is for your pleasure or mine."

As he reached for one of her legs, Francesca threw both of them up and open, spreading them in a provocative pose. Wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, she smiled at the shocked look on his face. "Do you see anything that you like Constable?" It only took him a second to regain his composure. "Yes I do. I would like to try it on for size, to see if it fits." Pushing her legs back down he maneuvered himself between her legs and pushed his length into her ready sex. Closing her eyes, Francesca sighed.

As he thrust gently against her, Fraser reached down to nip at her neck and kiss her lips. And every time that Francesca tried to kiss him back, he avoided her touch. "Damn it Benton! Stop it!" "Sssshhhh! Francesca, don't be so loud." Her reply was a hissed whisper. "If you don't quit teasing me, I'll start screaming and Ray will be in here in a second." He only laughed softly at her and began thrusting hard and fast. Her moans growing louder as she neared her climax.

The moment he felt her release, he slowed his thrusts, drawing out slowly and pushing back in just as slow. He grinned at her as he watched her fidget. He knew how sensitive she was after her orgasm and that doing this would drive her nuts. "Benton stop it!" "Stop what Francesca?" She arched her back trying to pull away from him, only to have him slide his arm beneath her and pull her body tightly against his as he continue moving slowly into her. "Oh God...don't!" "Don't what?"

Her breathing was fast and she struggled against him as he smiled down at her. Her whisper was threatening, but she had a smile on her lips. "I'm going to make you pay for this." "And how would you do that?" Grinning back at her, he began to thrust quickly against her as he felt his own release building. Pushing himself up, he looked down at Francesca. Her mouth slightly parted, eyes half closed. As he came, he could tell that she was on the edge of having another orgasm. He quickly pulled out from her, waiting for her reaction.

The look on her face was one of almost panic. "No! You can't do this! Benton if you don't..." With a slight laugh, he reentered her and began to thrust heavily against her, the bed frame creaking in time to their lovemaking. As her orgasm overtook her once more he quickly covered her mouth with his, stifling her moans as they grew in intensity. He stopped and pulled out, resting his weight gently on her and smiled once more. "What is it...I can not do to you?"

Between her heavy breathing and soft laughter she nodded at her arms tied above her head. "Can you let me go now?" Reaching up he pulled the knotted sleeves apart. She quickly reached between them and grabbed him by the penis. "Francesca!" She laughed as he tried to pull her hand away from him. "Now you know how it feels." "Let go." "Nope." "Please." "No way." She tugged him lightly and he gritted his teeth. She wasn't the only one who was sensitive after their orgasm. "Will you do that to me again?" Fraser hesitated and then smiled. "Most definitely." With an evil grin she twisted his length sharply. "Francesca stop!" They both froze at the sound of Ray's voice. "What in the hell is going on?!" She quickly released Fraser, but as she looked at him and he looked at her, they both broke out into fits of laughter.

As Ray stood outside Francesca's bedroom door he frowned. *Why in the hell are they laughing at me?* He heard the sounds of them scrambling around and then the door was flung open. He jumped back. "Jesus Chri..." Fraser stood at the door fully dressed, looking entirely innocent, but his flushed face and mussed hair told Ray exactly what they had been doing. "You're a rabbit." Fraser grinned back at him as Francesca walked up to the door and hugged Fraser. "What's the matter Ray?" "You know what's the matter Frannie. Don't try and pull any shit on me."

Francesca giggled as she released Fraser and pushed past Ray walking into the hall. "It wasn't shit that I was pulling." "Aw God damn it Frannie!" He turned his angry gaze back to Fraser. "You're a pig! Don't you even care?" Fraser tucked his red face down and quickly followed Francesca down the stairs without answering Ray. "I'm talking to you!" Ray ran down the stairs and into the den to see the pair settling back on the sofa. He stood in front of them, blocking their view of the television.

"Aren't you two even slightly embarrassed?" Francesca smiled up at Ray and nodded at Fraser. "He is. I'm not. Get a life Ray. We have sex, you don't. End of discussion." "Excuse me, but how in the hell do you know I don't have sex?" Francesca's eyes glittered evilly. "Then you and Meg have done it?!" Fraser's head snapped up and he stared at Ray, waiting for his answer. "I...I mean...no! We haven't done anything yet! Quit trying to change the subject!" "The subject is sex Ray and your lack of it." "He said yet Francesca." "Thanks Benton, I missed that one." Fraser smiled back at her.

"You said yet Ray. When are you gonna' give it to Meg? I mean you're getting so cranky now. It's obvious you have blue balls." "Francesca!" "Oh knock it off Benton. Blue balls isn't something dirty. Actually it's quite common. Especially with Ray. He's an expert on it. Aren't you Ray?" She smiled waiting for him to scream at her. Ray took a deep breath, running his hand over his head. He ignored her and looked straight at Fraser. "You need to have a serious talk with her." "No Ray, I think you and Francesca can talk to each other about your personal differences. You don't need me to mediate."

"Great! She's foul mouthed and you're a horny bastard. If I knew this is what you were really like I would have never let you date her." Francesca snorted. "Like you ever had a choice." "I give up! Do what you want." Ray walked away from them and out of the room. Fraser turned and looked seriously at Francesca. "We need to stop doing this to him. He's getting very upset with us." "Stop what? Teasing him or having sex? We're going to stop having sex this Saturday, so there's no way in hell I'm gonna' stop teasing him. Anyway, why can't you at least admit to me that you like teasing Ray. Just one time let me hear you say it."

He laughed softly and pulled her into a hug. "Yes I enjoy teasing Ray, but I don't want to hurt his feelings. You sometimes cross the boundaries." "I'm allowed to. He's my brother." Snuggling up against Fraser, she sighed. "It's gonna' be weird when I move out. I mean, I've been here all my life tormenting him. What am I gonna' do after I move." Fraser hugged her as he settled back against the sofa. "You will have to make sure you visit here often and invite him over to our home all the time. Nothing will change as much as you think it will. We will only be down the street." "I know, but you don't understand. You've lived all over the place. I've only lived in one house all my life. This is home." Fraser sighed and closed his eyes as he held Francesca. Yes he did understand. Home was the frozen land in the Northwest Territories. But home was also where you were loved. He would have to show Francesca just what that meant. 

 

Fraser was sitting at Ray's desk looking through a folder on his lap, occasionally sneaking peaks at Francesca sitting at her desk. He would look up to find her staring at him. She would smile, quickly putting her head down pretending to work. The fourth time he caught her, she sucked on the end of her pen, sliding it slowly in and out of her mouth causing Fraser to blush and look away. Ray caught the entire exchange. Francesca saw Ray glaring at her and she took the pen out of her mouth and started laughing, drawing the attention of a few people around her. Fraser looked back at her and she smiled at him, mouthing the word 'tonight'. He looked down at the folder again, smiling to himself."

"You two are sick Benny." Ray glared at him and Fraser's smile faded. "I'm sorry Ray." "You know it doesn't matter how many times I tell you two to knock it off, you still do this shit out in public. You had better have a talk with Frannie. What if Welsh caught you?" Fraser grew silent and sat motionless, his eyes never leaving the folder on his lap. "Yeah, you should be ashamed of yourself. You do stuff like this all the time now. And you call yourself a Mountie." Ray's voice dripped with sarcasm and he was pleased when Fraser flinched slightly at his last comment. *Good. I hit him where it hurts. Maybe now he'll knock it off."

Fraser tucked his head down further and turned red. Taking a deep breath, he closed the folder and placed it on Ray's desk. Without saying a word, he stood and picked his coat and stetson up and walked over to Francesca's desk. Leaning down he spoke a few words to her and left the bullpen. Francesca watched Fraser's retreating figure and then looked over at Ray. "What did you say to him?" Her voice was loud and biting. "I told him you two need to knock that shit off." "Jesus Ray! Why don't you stab him with your letter opener? We were only playing around!" Ray got up and walked over to her desk so he didn't have to shout across the bullpen any longer.

"Yeah well you need to quit playing around at work Frannie." "You're a real asshole Ray! I finally get him to loosen up, we fixed up our problems and all you want to do is slap him back down. You know I thought you wouldn't be so miserable once you got a date. What's the matter? Since Meg isn't putting out you have to take it out on Benton?" "Give me a break Frannie! You guys are unprofessional. You need to knock it off!" "Guess what Ray? Benton wasn't on duty. Me? I'm a paper pusher. This isn't a profession it's a job. You're supposed to be his friend, why don't you start acting like it."

She smirked at Ray. "I hope you didn't need his help anymore. He's gone for the day and he's not gonna' come back here." Ray rubbed a hand over his face. "You know, every time I say something to him, he goes and pouts." "No, you're a jerk." Ray walked back to his desk and sat down and stared at the folder that Fraser had been going through. It was a double murder that they were having trouble with. Fraser had already helped him on it and had pointed out several things that he had overlooked. Fraser had spent the past three hours helping him work on several cases. All on his own time. *Damn.*

Ray looked back over at Francesca. She was angrily punching information into her computer. Standing back up he walked over to her desk again. "If anyone asks where I went, I'm out working on a case." He held the folder up. Francesca kept her eyes on the monitor in front of her. "Yeah whatever." "Look Frannie..." Her head jerked up. "No you look! He helps you all the time and all you've done lately is bitch at him. God forbid he should be allowed to be happy. I think you like the fact that he was so lonely before. Misery loves company Ray. You're still a miserable bastard and he's happy. You need to get laid!" Francesca's last comment was a bit too loud, causing a few people around them to look up from their work and laugh. "Go to hell Frannie!" Ray stormed away and headed outside, while Francesca went back to her work with a smug smile on her face. 

 

Ray spent the remainder of the day working on the double murder case. He finally gave up and went home. As soon as he walked into the kitchen, Francesca stormed over to him. "Thanks a lot Ray!" "What?! I just came in!" She angrily gestured as she talked. "I haven't heard from Benton all day. He's not at the house, he's not at the consulate and Diefenbaker is here. He was supposed to be here at four to help me with dinner." Ray looked at the clock on the wall. It was now five. "Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he forgot to tell you he had to do something." "No Ray. He told me when he left this morning that he'd see me at four. He always calls me to let me know what he's doing. It's all your fault. I swear if something has happened to him, you're ass is mine!

She turned away from Ray and yanked open the oven to check on a chicken roasting in a pan. Ray followed her. "I told Ma what you did, so don't even try to deny anything." "Oh that's really nice Frannie! Let's tell Ma! You haven't changed a bit. You're always trying to get me in trouble." "No Ray, I don't have to do anything to get you in trouble. You bring it on yourself." He looked at her dumbfounded and then left the kitchen. Going to his room, Ray changed. Hanging his suit up, he thought over the events of the morning. Yes he was a bit rough with Fraser, but he was right. If Fraser and Francesca kept up their antics in public, they were going to get burned sooner or later. He was only trying to make them see it. 

 

It was almost six and the entire family was seated at the dinner table eating in silence. Ray sat picking at his food. Every time he looked up from his plate, he would see Frannie or Maria glaring at him. When he saw his mother shaking her head at him, he felt guilty. *Damn it! I didn't do anything bad. Did I?* Even Tony gave him a look. But the kicker were the stares that the children kept giving him. "All right, that's enough! I didn't do anything wrong! All I did was tell him that he and Frannie should knock it off."

"Hey, the guy was only playing with Frannie and you yell at him Ray. What's the big deal?" Ray looked back at Tony in shock. He was defending Fraser? "Let's face it Ray. The guy has the sense of humor of this napkin here." Tony held up a greasy napkin and shook it. "If Frannie can get Fraser to loosen up, it would be a good thing." "Tony they were...well I can't tell you what Frannie was doing, but they shouldn't be doing stuff like that at work." Francesca snapped at Ray. "Like you've never played around at work or joked with anyone before." "A joke is a lot different than what you were doing." "Yeah? Well you..." She stopped talking in mid sentence. There was someone knocking lightly at the front door.

Pushing her chair back, Francesca ran out of the dining room. Ray strained to hear who it was. With a sigh of relief he recognized Fraser's voice. He could detect a slight note of panic to Francesca's muffled voice. *Oh shit, what happened to him now?* He was about to get up when Mrs. Vecchio spoke up. "Sit down Raymondo." He flopped back in his chair. Francesca came in the room dragging Fraser by the hand. His head was down, but Ray saw what Francesca had been upset over. "What in the hell happened to you?!" Fraser had an ugly bruise on his temple and another one on his chin. As he sat next to Francesca, he stared at his plate ignoring Ray's question.

Francesca nudged him. "Go ahead. Tell him." He cleared his throat, his fingers nervously toying with his napkin. "After I left the precinct this morning I walked to the mounted division stables. I...um...went riding." Francesca nudged him again. "I was thinking about some things and the horse that I was on...well something spooked it and I got thrown off." Francesca nudged him once more. Fraser shot her a look. "I was thrown into a fence. Is that O.K.?" He was starting to sound irritated and his face was slowly turning red. Tony spoke up.

"What were you thinking about, I mean that would make you so careless?" Fraser looked up at Tony. "I wouldn't classify my actions as careless, I was...distracted." Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Same difference. What 'distracted' you?" Tony looked pointedly at Ray as he spoke, and Ray gave him a dirty look. "Nothing." "Uh huh. You're a Mountie, aren't you supposed to be really good on a horse?" "That is a common misconception. Mounties are not on mounted patrol any more. They use vehicles like the patrol officers here in the states. It's basically reserved for special occasions or for show." Tony smiled slightly. "What about you though? I mean you lived in the boonies. You had to have used a horse there." "I would travel by foot or dog sled." "You didn't ride a horse?" "No."

"O.K. that's enough Mountie history. Why didn't you call Frannie and let her know you were hurt? And what took you so long to get here?" Ray crossed his arms waiting for Fraser's answer. "I didn't want her to get worried. And I took a cab home and then I walked here." Ray snorted. "Didn't you think she would be worried if you were late? She was expecting you here at four, it's almost six." "I thought it would be easier to tell her what happened when I arrived." "Oh yeah, it's a lot easier for her to open the door and see your face looking like this. It's a hell of a lot easier than a phone call. You need to start thinking about how she feels. It's not just you and Diefenbaker anymore."

Fraser nodded his head yes and looked back down at his plate. Maria cut in before Ray could begin talking again. "What would you like to eat Benton? Roast chicken or left over roast beef?" "Nothing thank you. I'm not hungry." Francesca grabbed Fraser's plate and loaded it with potatoes, carrots and a large slab of beef. Pouring gravy over the entire thing, she set the plate down heavily in front of him. "Eat." "Francesca, I'm not..." "I know you. You probably haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Calm down and then eat."

Ray looked at Fraser. *Calm down?* The more he looked Fraser over, the more he realized that Francesca was right. He looked like he was about to jump up from his chair and run. His posture was tight and he was now poking nervously at the food on his plate. *I might as well get this over with.* "Benny, I'm sorry about this morning." Fraser sighed and set his fork down. "No Ray, you're right. I shouldn't be doing anything of that nature in public. I won't do it again." Francesca rolled her eyes. "See what you've done Ray. Are you happy now? I told you he would close up again."

Fraser sat up straight in his chair and turned to look at Francesca. "What do you mean I would 'close up' again?" She laughed humorously and gestured at him. "Look at yourself. Ray tells you to quit having fun and now you going to act all mopey." She pushed him roughly on the shoulder. "You are not going to act like this." "How exactly am I to act then? One moment I'm being told I am stiff, the next minute Ray is telling me to straighten up. I'm sorry if I don't react to things the way you do. We weren't raised the same way." "No kidding! You weren't raised at all. You just mutated into an instant adult." "That is not a very nice thing to say." "Face it. Your grandparents did a sucky job raising you. You're a mess Benton."

Fraser looked back at her with a stunned expression which quickly changed to obvious irritation tinged with anger. "They did the best that they could. They weren't prepared to raise a six year old boy." "Then why did they do it? Why'd your dad dump you off with them if they couldn't do the job?" "Francesca, he had no choice in the matter, my Mum's family..." His voice trailed off and he turned away from her shaking his head. "I don't want to discuss this matter any further." "Oh yeah. Let's avoid the whole thing. You don't want to admit they screwed you up." He gritted his teeth. "They did not screw me up. I just think differently than you." "Yeah and the rest of the world." "Could we please drop this?"

"Frannie." "Her head snapped over to Ray. "What?!" "Drop it. It's dinner time and this isn't the place to be arguing." He gestured at the children staring at her and Fraser. "Oh. O.K." While they ate the rest of their meal they talked about every day things. The neighbors, the weather, anything to try and relieve the tension in the room. The children excused themselves and ran outside to play in the snow. Ray and Tony went to the den to watch the news, leaving the rest of them to clean up. Maria and Ma carried some food out of the dining room, leaving Fraser and Francesca alone.

"So what's the big secret Benton?" "Excuse me?" "Why the secrecy over the way you were raised? What's the deal with your mom's family?" "Francesca I really don't want to talk about it. There's nothing I can do to change the past, so why dwell on it?" "Because it helps to talk about the past. It'll make you fell better." "What would make me feel better is if we could drop this train of thought. I would rather concentrate on the here and now. Not the past." "Sorry, no can do. You're bothered by it and you need to talk about it." "Francesca..." Running his hands through his hair he sighed. "Very well. I can see you're going to be relentless as usual." She smiled back at him. "You got it."

He looked uncomfortable as he spoke and avoided looking her in the eye. "When my mum died, my dad really didn't have any options as to what to do with me. He couldn't take care of me, his job wouldn't allow it. His mother and father agreed to take me in. They weren't prepared Francesca. They had no idea as to what to do with me." "Oh come on! They raised your dad didn't they?" "But that was a long time ago Francesca. They had changed over the years." "What about your mom's family?" Fraser remained silent. "Benton? Why didn't you go and live with them?" Fraser's eyes took on a cold cast. "Because to my Mum's family I don't even exist." "What?"

Fraser chuckled bitterly at the look on her face. "Francesca, not all families are like yours. They don't embrace new members into the fold so easily. From what I have been told, my Mum's parents were totally opposed to my parents union. The moment I was born they disinherited her. When she died...my father notified them and that was that." "Geez. You mean you've never seen you're grandparents? Ever?" "No I have not. Nor will I ever have the chance in the future. They would refuse to see me. I wasn't born as far as they're concerned." Francesca looked sadly at Fraser. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard. I didn't know."

Reaching over she hugged him, glad to feel his arms hugging her tightly back. "I'm sorry as well. If I would open up as you would call it, then you would know these things." Squeezing him tightly Francesca kissed him on the cheek and pulled away. "But you did just open up. Maybe it's like prying open a clam, but you did do it. Don't you feel better now?" "No." "What do you mean no?" "Telling you this doesn't change anything." Standing she began to clear the table. "Then maybe we should do something to make it change." Fraser gave her a curious look. "How can you do that?" "Well...I can't do it now, but how about when we come back from Florida you and I start doing a little Fraser family research." She grinned at the look on his face. "Oh don't look so scared. It's not like we're going to go and knock on their door and say here's your grandson. We'll just dig around and see who's alive and maybe send out a few letters. Maybe we can get someone from your mom's side of the family to at least talk to you. How about it?" She looked at him expectantly and was rewarded with a small smile from Fraser. "I would like that." "Good. Now let's get this table cleaned off so we can take Diefenbaker for a walk." 

 

The next few days flew by and Saturday finally arrived. Fraser and Francesca sat on the sofa in the den. Ray and Fraser would be leaving in a half hour to start the 'bachelor party'. "So do you know where they're takin you Benton?" "Yes. To the Leafs versus Hawks game." "And?" "And what Francesca?" She snorted at him. "Puh-lease! Don't tell me they aren't gonna take you out to a nudie bar." His eyes widened in surprise. "No. Ray didn't mention going to that type of establishment." "Oh. That's weird."

She chewed on her lip. "Ya know they're gonna want to get you trashed." "Trashed?" "Drunk Benton." "Ah. No I will not be drinking Francesca. You will not have to worry about me coming home...trashed." "Uh huh. Well if I were you I'd have one drink. They won't let up unless you do." "I don't think I will have any." "I'm tellin you Benton. Have one drink. Milk it if you have to. If they bug you to have anymore say that was it and they were lucky to see you drink it. O.K.? I mean geez, how bad can one drink be?" Fraser fidgeted nervously with the pillow by his arm. "I will try." "Good."

She leaned against him, letting her hand trail slowly down his chest. "I have something special planned for you tonight when you get back. Remember what tomorrow is?" Fraser smiled. "Yes. Day one of two weeks without...expressing our love for one another." She leaned over and whispered. "No. Two weeks without fucking each others brains out." Laughing she squeezed his crotch. "Francesca!"

"I'm gonna give you something to remember. Tonight will be the best so far." "Really?" "Uh huh." Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Their kiss started out soft, but as they continued it built in intensity. They kissed, letting their hands wander over each other. Without even thinking where they were, Francesca rubbed her hand over the crotch of his jeans. Fraser had slipped his one hand behind her back and the other had snaked it's way into her shirt, gently cupping a breast.

"Jesus Christ!" Fraser shoved Francesca off of him, grabbing a pillow and placing it over his lap, his face a bright red. "Don't you two ever stop?! What if Ma walked in here and saw you two like this?" Francesca sat back up and combed her fingers through her hair. "I swear to God, Ray. I'm gonna kill you one of these days."

Ray stared at her exasperated. "You had your hand... well you know where you had it Frannie!" Ray gestured at Fraser and then turned to him. "And you! What in the hell were you thinking?! You let her do that to you here? And 'you' had your hand up her shirt!" He now pointed at Francesca. "Can't you control yourself?!" Francesca slid over next to Fraser. "Yes we can control ourselves. You're the one who's a freaking peeping Tom." Fraser looked at her seriously. "That is incorrect Francesca." "Thank God, you're seeing things my way for once Benny." Fraser smiled slightly, tucking his head down. "He is a peeping Ray."

Francesca giggled and poked Fraser in the ribs. "That's a good one Benton." "You think you're both funny. Can't you keep it private? Do we all have to know what you're doing?" She snuggled up against Fraser and grinned at Ray. "God you two make me sick. Get up Benny, we gotta go." He didn't move. "O.K. what's the problem?" Fraser kept his head down as he spoke, but Ray could see his ears turning red. "I would prefer to sit for another minute or two thank you." "Aw geez! You are gross!"

Ray grimaced and turned away, walking out of the den. Francesca giggled again and yanked the pillow out of Fraser's lap. She poked him in the crotch. "You're nasty Benton. You have a woody" "I'm sorry." She laughed and lay against him. "Well, at least I know I can still get a reaction from you from just kissing." Ray's voice yelled out from the hall. "Are you ready yet?!" Francesca looked down at Fraser's lap and grinned evilly, yelling back at Ray. "Almost Ray! He's still..."

Fraser grabbed Francesca and pinned her down on the sofa, his hand across her mouth. "Do 'not' do that Francesca." Taking his hand off of her mouth she smiled at him. "Admit it. You like it when I talk dirty. It turns you on." "Well...I...it...yes it does, but that is besides the point. The point is you shouldn't be yelling out things like that. It's not appropriate." Reaching up she grabbed him by his head and pulled him down to her, giving him another kiss. She had intended for it to be a small one, but she slowly felt Fraser rest more of his weight on her, his mouth pressing insistently against hers. His tongue reaching out to touch her lips. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she returned his kiss, forgetting all about Ray waiting in the hall.

The next thing she knew, she felt him being jerked away from her. "Hey!" Ray had grabbed him by an arm and the back of his shirt, pulling him off of the sofa and out of her embrace. He shoved Fraser towards the doorway of the den. "You two are disgusting." Once in the hall, Ray grabbed Fraser's coat and threw it at him. As Fraser reached out for his stetson, Ray slapped his hand away. "No you are 'not' wearing your hat." "But Ray..." "But Ray nothing! You don't need your hat. We'll be indoors the entire time." Fraser gave his stetson a longing look. He felt vulnerable without it.

Francesca ran into the foyer. "Be careful Benton." "Frannie, he's going to a hockey game." "Whatever." Pushing past Ray, she gave Fraser a big hug. "Have fun, but don't forget what I said about tonight." He smiled at her and gave her a kiss, only to feel Ray pull him away from Francesca again. As he was drug from the house, he smiled back at her. "You two are..." "Yes Ray, I know. We are sickening." 

 

Pulling the Riv up to the curb, Ray got out and looked distastefully around him. "Is it a requirement that you guys live in slums?" "Ray that is not nice. This is someone's neighborhood. It's their home." Ray stared back at Fraser. It's a slum Benny. The only thing you got right is calling it a hood." Turning his back on Fraser, he walked into the apartment building. Climbing the stairs he came to Turnbull's apartment. Before he could knock on the door, it opened and Turnbull eagerly stepped out into the hall. "We had better hurry. We don't want to miss the warm up." Walking quickly past Ray and Fraser, Turnbull headed for the stairs. He had a bag in his hand and as Ray and Fraser followed him, Ray asked what was in it. "Oh, it's something special. You'll see."

The drive to the United Center arena was filled with Turnbull's endless chatter about the Leaf's team history. Ray grew slightly miffed when Fraser totally ignored him and talked with Turnbull the entire ride. By the time they pulled into the parking lot, he was ready to scream. He had enough of listening to them talk about Canada and hockey. As they walked up to the main entrance, Turnbull reached into his bag and pulled out a pile of blue cloth. Dropping the bag he excitedly shoved something into Fraser's hands. "I thought maybe we could wear our colors tonight Sir."

Smiling brightly, Fraser held a blue Toronto Maple Leafs jersey up to his chest, his voice excited. "Ray look!" "Yeah Benny. That's nice." Ray's voice was dry. He watched as Fraser and Turnbull pulled the jerseys on. *This is sickening.* Fraser reverently smoothed down the front of his jersey, his fingers caressing the crest. "Thank you kindly Turnbull. This was very thoughtful of you." "Oh think nothing of it Sir." Fraser looked up at Turnbull and cocked his head slightly to the side. "We're off duty Turnbull. Call me Ben or Benton." Turnbull's face lit up with a smile. "O.K....Ben. I guess you can call me Ren or Renfield." "All right...Ren." Ray snapped at them. "Jesus Christ! Let's go!"

The two Canadians looked at Ray thoroughly confused as he pushed past them and hurried off. "I don't want to appear rude, but Detective Vecchio is a bit cranky." "I would have to agree." They walked up the steps to where Dewey, Huey, Welsh and a scowling Ray all stood. Dewey snickered as Fraser came near. "Well if it isn't the condemned man." Fraser arched an eyebrow at him, but remained silent. Ray and the rest of the men laughed. Turnbull leaned into Fraser and whispered. "I thought this was a happy occasion?" "They believe that getting married is the end of being happy." He gave Fraser a confused look. "But..." "Yes I know. It's just silly." "Yes I agree."

Turnbull gave them all a strange look and walked up the to the entrance of the arena. Ray presented their tickets and handed the stubs out to everyone. The moment Turnbull saw his ticket stub, he let out a squeal of joy. "You didn't say we were going to be in a box!" Fraser's head jerked over to Ray in surprise. "We have box seats? Ray this must have cost a fortune." "It's none of your business how much this cost. And don't forget, Meg was the one who's responsible for getting this." He waved his ticket stub at Fraser.

They walked through the concourse and Ray noticed the dirty looks their small group was receiving. A thin man with spiky blonde hair, wearing a Hawks jersey, glared at Turnbull and Fraser as he walked towards them. When he was almost past them he yelled. "Leafs suck!" To Ray's surprise, Turnbull whipped around and shouted back at him. "Hawks suck!" The man stopped walking and yelled directly at Turnbull. "You suck!" Turnbull lunged at the smaller man, but Fraser grabbed him and pulled him back. The blonde hair man sneered at them and laughed as he walked away. When he was further down the walkway he yelled back at them. "Canada sucks!" His laughter echoed against the walls as he disappeared in the crowd.

Ray watched Fraser's face slightly darken, but he quickly masked it. His grip on Turnbull had tightened and he whispered something to him. Turnbull immediately stopped struggling and Fraser released him. His face was still angry as he looked in the direction of his tormentor. Ray stared at Turnbull. "Geez calm down why don't you! It's only a game." "It's only a game? Yes. And baseball is only a foolish game that little boys play." Dewey and Huey's mouth dropped open. Welsh stepped forward. "Baseball is 'not' a game. It's our national past time. It's part of our history." Turnbull stepped forward and glared down at Welsh. "And hockey is 'our' history. It's our passion and our blood."

Ray had enough of it all. "Will you people look at yourselves! This is supposed to be fun! You're all arguing over sports. What in the hell is the matter with you?" Fraser gave him a curious smile. "Ray." "Yeah Benny." "How would you classify basketball?" "Don't even go there!" Turnbull stepped between them. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if we don't hurry, we won't be able to see them." Dewey looked confused. "See who?" Turnbull shot him an exasperated look. "The Leafs!"

Turning, he led the way to the lower level. A security guard blocked their way until Turnbull flashed a smile and his ticket stub. He talked excitedly as they moved down towards the ice. "Isn't this fantastic?! There's Mats Sundin." To everyone's surprise a few of the Leaf players waved to Turnbull. One even skated up to the glass and yelled at him. "Hey Rennie! You sure you don't miss all of this?" Turnbull laughed and shook his head as the player skated away to take a shot on net. Huey was the first one to speak.

"They know you?" Turnbull looked humble. "Well yes...some of them do. I use to play with a few of them." Ray's eyebrows went up. "You use to play pro hockey?!" "No, I didn't play pro. I played with them in juniors." "Oh." Fraser smiled slightly as he spoke. "No Ray, he never played pro hockey, but he was drafted. He turned it down to join the R.C.M.P." "Is that true Turnbull?" Now he looked embarrassed by all the attention. "Yes I did." Dewey nudged Ray and whispered. "What an idiot." Ray waved Dewey off. "I'm impressed."

They spent the remainder of the warm up watching Turnbull and Fraser talk to several more players that skated up to the glass. Fraser was chatting away in French to one Leaf, gesturing broadly with his hands. Then he, Turnbull and the player burst out laughing. Ray felt another pang of jealousy over Fraser paying more attention to Turnbull than him.

Dewey nudged Ray in the ribs. "Uh Ray, I don't know about you, but I kinda feel left out here." Ray immediately came to Fraser's defense. "Hey give him a break. They're his people." "Oh yeah. I didn't think about that." A buzzer went off and Fraser and Turnbull waved to the retreating figures of the Leafs as they skated to their locker room. The Hawks began to come on the ice and the two Mounties turned and walk past Ray and the others. Ray looked confused. "Hey!" They turned back to Ray. "Aren't you gonna watch them warm up?" He gestured at the Hawks skating on the ice. Turnbull made a face of disgust. "Them?" He laughed and made his way up the steps. Fraser shrugged his shoulders at Ray. "They're the Hawks Ray." With that comment Fraser turned and followed Turnbull's retreating figure.

With a sigh Ray waved the others to follow him. "Come on. Let's play follow the fruitcakes." They made their way up to the box that Thatcher had procured for the occasion. Welsh smiled as he sat down on a leather sofa. "Now this I like." Reaching forward he plucked a piece of cheese off of a tray and popped it into his mouth. Fraser looked decidedly uncomfortable as he walked up to Ray.

"I don't know about this Ray. Are you sure...I mean...would you like me to pay for part of this?" "Benny. Take a seat." Ray pushed Fraser over to the small bar in the corner of the room and Fraser climbed up on a bar stool. "Meg made the arrangements for this. She pulled a few strings. You know she does like you still. And the food and stuff...I got a deal on it all with my cousin Vinnie. Huey, Dewey, Welsh and Turnbull all chipped in a few bucks to help cover the cost. Just sit back and enjoy it." "Yes Ray."

Fraser sat ramrod straight on the bar stool, looking stiff and out of place. *If he doesn't loosen up, this is gonna be a long night.* Dewey came up behind Ray and grabbed four beers from behind the bar. He tossed one to Turnbull, who to Ray's surprise, twisted the cap off and began to drink it like water. Dewey, Huey and Welsh sat back on the sofa and chairs looking content as they snacked and drank their beers.

Ray smiled and looked directly at Fraser. "Benny. Do you want a 'drink'?" Fraser automatically tensed up. *Relax. Calm down. Francesca said one drink. What can one drink hurt?* He looked back at Ray and then at the others who stared at him, waiting for his reply. Taking a deep breath he swallowed hard. "O.K." Ray's eyes widened and then he smiled. "All right Benny!" "One Ray. That's all. No more." "One?" "Yes Ray." Dewey quickly walked over to the bar and held a finger up, smiling at Ray. "Let me do the honors. I'll get Fraser his 'one' drink."

Ray watched curiously as Dewey began to take an assortment of liquors from beneath the bar and mixed it all in a very tall glass. Fraser opened his mouth to protest, but Ray cut him off. "You said one drink Benny. He's getting you one drink." Fraser watched Dewey as he added several different things to the glass, his apprehension mounting. He knew that this one drink was not going to have the same effect as one beer. *I'm going to regret this I know it.*

With a huge smile on his face Dewey set the glass in front of Fraser. "Here you go Fraser. One Chicago Bomber for the condemned man." Fraser picked the glass up and sniffed it. Drawing back from it's scent he looked at Dewey. "May I inquire as to why it's called a Chicago Bomber?" "Sure. It's...um...named after those old World War Two planes." Fraser looked doubtfully at Dewey. "Ah."

Dewey turned his back on Fraser and grinned madly at the others. They watched as Fraser cautiously brought the glass up to his lips. He sniffed it again and moved to set it down. "This is not..." Ray jumped on him. "You said 'one' drink Benny." "But Ray..." "Oh so you lied." Fraser looked startled. "I didn't lie Ray. It's just this drink is..." "Liar." Ray looked smugly at Fraser. "Ben Fraser, the Mountie who lies." Slowly bringing the glass back up, he took a sip.

He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. It had been many years since he had anything alcoholic. He had almost forgotten the sharp burn that it could produce. Opening his eyes back up, he noticed that they were all still staring at him. "Is something wrong?" Ray snickered. "No Benny. It's just weird seein you drink. But it's a good weird." "How so?" "I don't know. It kinda makes you normal."

Fraser began to look slightly irritated. His voice rising a bit. "Ray how can my consuming alcohol qualify as making me normal? Why do all of you place so much importance on drinking alcohol?" "Benny, just shut up and drink it." "Don't worry Ray, I will. I said I would drink one drink and I will. But this is it." Ray held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Hey, no problem."

Fraser raised the glass back to his lips and chugged it's contents. Ray couldn't believe what he just saw. *Jesus!* He slammed the glass down on the bar and sat quietly holding his breath, then he exhaled sharply. "That burns." Dewy nudged Huey. "Twenty bucks says he pukes in ten minutes." "You're on." Welsh sipped his beer and ate more cheese. "Constable, do you think that was wise?" Fraser coughed and walked over to the seats by the railing overlooking the arena. "No Sir it wasn't. But at least I got it over with."

Flopping in a seat, he tried to relax. It wasn't very hard to do. The alcohol sent a warm glow throughout his body, his muscles relaxing, his tenseness slowly evaporated. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a handful of pretzels and began snacking. Turnbull sat next to him. As soon as the announcement was made for the national anthems, Fraser and Turnbull both stood and snapped to attention. The two Canadians sang loudly to their countries anthem and stood quietly through the American anthem. The game was about to begin! 

 

Ray walked up and stood behind Fraser to watch the puck being dropped to start the game. "Ray." "Yeah Benny." "Could you please get me something to drink?" Fraser had leaned back in his seat, smiling at the upside down image of Ray. "No problem." He walked back to the bar and looked at a bottle of Pepsi and then at a long necked bottle of Molson. Smiling he grabbed the Molson. Dewey chuckled as Ray walked past him with the beer. "He's not going to drink it Ray." "Hey, I'm just gonna pull his chain. Watch."

Leaning over him, Ray handed Fraser the beer. He took it without letting his eyes leave the game. Twisting the cap off, he tossed it onto the floor and took a swig from the bottle. Ray watched as he took another sip. *He took it and he didn't say thank you!* "Is your drink O.K.?" "Uh huh." Ray noticed that Turnbull had several unopened bottles of beer at his feet. "Hey Turnbull. Why do you have beers on the floor? They'll get warm." Just like Fraser, Turnbull never let his eyes leave the game. "I like them warm and this way I don't have to miss any of the game."

Turnbull jumped in his seat as a Leaf crushed a Hawk against the boards. Ray looked back at Fraser who was slouching in his seat with his feet now propped up on the railing in front of him. The now empty beer bottle sat on the floor next to him. *He drank it already?!* "Benny, you want another drink?" "Sure Ray." Shaking his head, Ray walked back over to Welsh, Dewey and Huey. "Dewey what was in that thing?" "What wasn't?" He snickered and nudged Huey. Ray laughed and gestured at Fraser "He bombed! On one drink!" "Duh Ray. Why do you think they call it a Chicago Bomber." "You are joking." "Nope. He probably can't feel his teeth by now."

Still laughing, Ray walked over to the bar and grabbed a beer for himself. He picked up a bowl of popcorn and another beer for Fraser as well. Again, without looking up, Fraser took the beer from Ray without questioning it. He set the bowl of popcorn in his lap and mechanically ate it while sipping his beer. "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "Are you havin a good time?" "Yes Ray, I am." Ray stood behind Fraser as he and Turnbull finished off the basket of popcorn. The moment the bowl was empty, he set it on the small table behind him and chugged the remainder of his beer. Setting the empty bottle down on the floor he spoke to Ray. "Could you please get me some cheese and those little cracker thingys with the stuff in them?"

Ray snickered and walked over to the table to get Fraser a plate of food. Turning to Dewey he snickered again. "He's bombed all right." "Really? Damn, what a light weight. Hey Fraser! Come here for a minute!" Fraser yelled loudly back at him. "After the first period!" Welsh shook his head and loaded his plate up with some meatballs. "You do know that if he doesn't eat he'll be sicker than a dog in your car." Ray proceeded to add a roll and some meatballs to Fraser's snack plate.

As the period progressed Ray managed to give Fraser another beer. He and Turnbull were intently watching the game, occasionally jumping in their seats and shouting out encouragements to their beloved Leafs. "You know Ray. I think watching those two is more entertaining than the game." Huey grinned as he spoke and grabbed a handful of chips and began dipping them in an onion dip. They heard the buzzer go off ending the first period and Fraser immediately stood and walked over to Dewey and stared at him.

"What Fraser?" "You said you wanted me to come over." "Huh? Oh yeah! Um...do you want another drink?" Huey rolled his eyes and Welsh shook his head mumbling under his breath. "He's going to vomit his guts up in your car Vecchio." Fraser absently nodded his head yes and squinted as he looked around the room. "Um...Ray...is there...where are the facilities?" "See that door over there?" "Yes." Fraser stood still and looked at Ray. "Benny." "Yes?" "That door. Open it and there's a bathroom." Fraser's face brightened. "Ah. Thank you kindly Ray." To his credit, he walked a relatively straight line, without stumbling or tripping.

Welsh shook his head again at the sight of Fraser disappearing into the bathroom. "Do you think it's wise to let him drink? He's not use to it." "Look Lue. It's his bachelor party. It's won't hurt him to drink just this once." "If you say so." "Yes I do say so. Don't worry, I'll take care of 'em. Do you want another brew?" "Sure. You got any more of those little wiener things?" "Yeah, under that foil covered pan there." Ray went about preparing another plate of food for Fraser.

Fraser came out of the bathroom and grabbed a beer off of the bar. Ray handed him his plate of food. Fraser stared at it. "Ray I didn't ask for a sandwich." Ray smiled. "Yes you did. Don't you remember?" "Oh. O.K." He walked back over to his seat and flopped down. Throwing his legs up on the railing he ate the sandwich quickly and then chugged his beer, tossing the bottle down on the floor. He then concentrated on the snacks left on the plate. Huey and the rest of them had watched Fraser the entire time. "You know I've been keeping track of what he's eating and drinking Ray. I mean, he's eaten a ton of shit. I've never seen him do this before." Welsh mumbled under his breath again. "All over the upholstery Vecchio."

The second period started and Turnbull and Fraser sat watching the game, but when the Leafs scored they jumped to their feet and yelled loudly. After the goal they remained standing, leaning against the railing, their eyes never leaving the ice. Dewey and Huey were laughing at the two Canadians. "Jesus Ray, they are a mess!" Ray looked at them and started laughing as well. Empty bottles of beer were strewn all around their feet and several empty snack baskets were on the small table behind them and on the floor.

Welsh, Huey and Dewey all grabbed beers and settled on the sofa and chairs. "Vecchio aren't you having another beer?" "I can't , I drove." Welsh smiled. "We were smart. We took a cab." By the time the second period intermission came, Fraser slowly made his way to the bathroom. Dewey jumped up and listened at the door. "What are you doing?" Huey smiled at Ray. "He's seeing if Fraser is throwing up." "That is disgusting!" "Hey. I have twenty dollar riding on it that he doesn't." Dewey laughed as he kept his ear to the door. "Jesus Ray, he can piss like a train." "Yeah, well he has a big..." Ray's voice trailed off and all of the men looked at Ray. "What? What did I say?" Dewey smiled evilly.

"Fraser has a big what Ray?" "Nothing." Turnbull walked over to them. "It's O.K. to say it Detective Vecchio. We're all men here. It's no secret." They all stared at Turnbull who lowered his voice. "We all know that Constable Fraser has a big heart. He's the nicest man I've ever had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of." Turnbull smiled and sauntered back to his seat and sat down. Dewey jumped on Ray. "Fraser has a big dick! That's what you were going to say isn't it?" Ray looked apprehensively at Fraser who came out of the bathroom.

All of them stared at Fraser and then at his crotch. He looked down and then put his hand to the fly of his jeans and then looked back up at Ray. "What? My barn door's closed." His voice sounded decidedly irritated. "Hey Fraser. Ray says you have a big dick. Is that why Frannie wants to marry you?" Ray glared at Dewey and Fraser's head snapped first to Dewey and then back to Ray. "How do you know?" "I...uh...saw you that time at your house." Fraser looked peeved. "May I ask why it is so important to know...well...my...you know."

Dewey snickered. "Hey we were just curious. I mean we all have the same thing." Fraser looked down at Dewey with a smirk, his voice sarcastic. "I doubt it." Huey lay back in his seat laughing and Welsh choked on a chip. Ray patted Fraser on the shoulder. "Good one Benny." He shrugged off Ray's hand. "No, I'm serious Ray. I bet you..." Fraser walked up and poked Dewey in the chest. "ten dollars American that you are Joe average. Maybe." Dewey stood up and began yanking at the button of his jeans and started to undo his zipper. "Whoa! Wait a sec!" Ray jumped up and grabbed Dewey's hands. Turnbull shouted over to them. "Ben! Third period's starting!" Fraser ran over to the bar and grabbed a beer and ran over to the railing where Turnbull stood. Ray was struggling with Dewey.

"We don't want to see it!" "But Ray! He said I have a little dick!" "No he said you are average. Maybe." Ray, Huey and Welsh all broke up laughing at Dewey. "Up yours Ray!" He shouted over to Fraser. "Yeah I bet your dick ain't big!" Without turning around Fraser gave Dewy the finger. Ray crumpled down on the sofa laughing, while Huey pounded his fist on the arm of the chair he was in. Welsh spit beer down the front of his shirt. Dewey was livid. "Did you see that?! He gave me the finger! Son of a bitch! That drunken bastard!" Just as Dewey took a step forward Turnbull leaned over the rail and screamed.

"Take that back!!!" Then Fraser began rattling something out in another language. Turnbull was trying to jump over the railing, but Fraser held him back. As soon as Fraser had Turnbull seated he reached over the railing and pulled a panic stricken man up and over the rail and into their box. He raised his arm to punch him, but Ray jumped Fraser from behind. "Benny no!" Dewey grabbed both Ray and Fraser, pulling them down to the floor. Huey and Welsh in turn grabbed Turnbull, who had reached over and was about to finish the job that Fraser started. The now whimpering man scrambled to his feet and ran out the door. 

 

"Damn it Ray, let go!" Fraser yelled out and wrestled himself away from Dewey and Ray's grasp. He stumbled to his feet and swayed unsteadily. "Where'd the bastard go?!" "Benny, calm down!" Fraser yelled back in Ray's face. "No I'm not going to calm down! Did you hear what he said?!" Dewey finally managed to get to his feet, trying to catch his breath. Welsh and Huey had Turnbull pinned to the floor. He yelled up from his prone position. "He insulted the Queen!" Both Turnbull and Fraser's faces were livid.

"Ray, he called the Queen a...well I can't tell you what he called her. But he should be flogged!" "Benny, he's American. He doesn't know shit about your Queen. Let it drop. He's an asshole." "You're damn right he is!" "Excuse me." They all turned to the door way. "Arena security. Is there a problem here?" Welsh let go of Turnbull and dusted off his pants as he stood up. Smiling he produced his badge.

"Lieutenant Harding Welsh, 27th Precinct. No problem really, just two guys getting a little rowdy." He lowered his voice. "This one's getting married in two weeks." He gestured at Fraser as he spoke. He raised his voice back up to a normal volume. "Let me introduce you. Detectives Vecchio, Huey and Dewey. Constables Fraser and Turnbull." The guard smiled. "Bachelor party?" "Yes." "O.K. Just try and keep those two under control. I know they're Leaf fans, but we can't help that now can we?" He winked at Welsh and closed the door behind him.

The moment the door shut they all breathed a sigh of relief. All of them except for Fraser. "What did that asshole mean, 'they can't help that'?" Ray looked at Fraser, his face slightly shocked. "Benny, your mouth!" Fraser stood still for a second and then he looked down at the floor. "Sorry." Turning away from Ray, he went back to his seat to watch the remainder of the game. "Thanks Lue. That was a close one." "You're quite welcome. It wouldn't do to have to tell Miss Vecchio why her fiance is in jail." Dewey rubbed his shoulder and came up to Ray. "Damn he's strong." Ray cracked his neck. "Tell me about it."

Fraser and Turnbull sat in their seats and finished watching the game, the incident wiped from their minds the moment they had sat back down. When the buzzer sounded to end the game, they came to their feet and gave each other a high five, both yelling out "Leafs Rule!". They giggled and staggered over to the sofa where Welsh and Dewey sat. Fraser smiled down at them. "Thank you kindly for the enjoyable evening." "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "The night's not over." "It's not?" "Nope. We're gonna go take a little ride." Fraser's face brightened. "Really? I didn't know there were any riding stables open this late."

Dewey rolled his eyes. "Ray is he for real?" "Yeah he is." Huey walked over and patted Fraser on the shoulder. "We're going to a strip bar." Fraser back away from him. "No! Francesca would not approve." "Benny, she expects it." "No she does not!" "Yes she does. They all do." "Why?" Fraser had a stubborn look on his face, his eyes slightly narrowed. "We're going." "But..." Ray grabbed Fraser by the arm and dragged him to a corner of the room and whispered to him. "Benny just hear me out. Dewey, Huey and Welsh aren't big hockey fans. They only agreed to come here because they wanted to do something nice for you. It's only fair that you spend some time at the bar with them."

Fraser looked around Ray to see the others waiting patiently. A wave of guilt washed over him. "You said Francesca expected this?" "Yeah, she does." "You're not fibbing are you?" "Benny...please." Fraser stood thinking for a minute and then he smiled. "All right. If Francesca approved of it, then I will go." Ray clapped him on the arm. "Good." They walked back to the group. "Let's go everyone." As they moved towards the door it opened and a man poked his head in. "Is there a Rennie Turnbull here?" Turnbull gave a lopsided grin and raised his hand. "The guys...I mean the Leafs...they want to know if you want to go out?" A smile almost split his face, but it faded as he looked back at Fraser. "Uh...I'd like to, but I'm already socially obligated." "Ren." Fraser pushed him towards the door. "Go see your friends." Turnbull hesitated. "Really? You don't mind?" "No. Thank you for coming." Turnbull grabbed Fraser in a big hug. "See you later." He practically skipped out of the room.

Ray smiled. "Well let's get this show on the road." Fraser held a finger up. "One moment please." He disappeared in the bathroom and Dewey ran over to the door and put his ear against it. "Damn. He's peeing." Huey made a disgusted face. "That's what you do in a bathroom." Without any warning Fraser opened the door, knocking Dewey to the floor. He snickered as he came out. "Maybe the next time you won't lay against the door. That's rude." Ray pulled at Fraser's arm. "Benny let's go." "O.K. Ray." Fraser stepped over Dewey and walked out of the room. 

 

Fraser chatted away in the Riv about the game. Ray looked nervously across the seat wondering if he was going to puke all over the upholstery like Welsh said he would. When they pulled up and parked near the bar, Ray was one relieved driver. As they got out of the car, Ray watched as Fraser made a rather steady path to the entrance of the bar. For someone as drunk as he was, he still seemed rather coordinated. They waited by the door for Welsh, Dewey and Huey's cab to pull up.

"So Benny you havin a good time?" "I don't know Ray. We're not in the building yet." Ray smiled. "Have you ever been to a strip bar before?" Fraser looked at him like he was stupid. "Of course I have Ray! We had that case where we went to several bars." Ray smiled again. "No Benny. I'm talkin for fun. Have you ever been to one to just watch the ladies dance?" Fraser chuckled. "Francesca has danced for me. You remember when I came home from the hospital? She got up on the bed and threw her clothes all over the place." His face grew serious. "I swear sometimes she's double jointed Ray, but she said she isn't." "That's enough!" "Enough what Ray?"

Any further discussion was cut off as the cab containing the other three pulled up. They stumbled out of the cab and grinned. Welsh held a small bottle of liquor in his hand. "I stopped and picked up something special." Fraser squinted at the bottle. "What is it?" Welsh clutched the bottle protectively to his chest. "Oh no. Not for you Red. I'm not going to have you vomit at our table." Fraser frowned. "I won't vomit at the table." Ray grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside the building. Standing in line to pay, Fraser took his wallet out. Ray immediately snatched it from him. "Ray!" "Nope. You're not paying for anything. My treat." "But..." He watched Ray tuck his wallet in his coat pocket. "Ray may I please have my wallet back." "Uh...I think I had better hold onto it for safe keeping." "Oh. O.K."

The bar was dark and had a large crowd. It was one of the nicer ones in the area. Ray lead them to a front table right on the runway. He smiled proudly. "Reserved this baby two weeks ago. It's the best spot." They settled in their seats and Ray ordered a round of beers. He watched Fraser craning his neck to take in all the sights. "Pretty nice view huh Benny?" He pointed up to a dancer that was only a few feet away from them. Fraser frowned and shook his head no. "Ray, Ray, Ray. There's no comparison." Ray looked back in confusion at him. "No comparison to what?"

Fraser's face got a dreamy look to it, a lewd smile slowly spreading across his face. "Francesca! I mean look at her, Ray." He nodded at the dancer. "Her backside is flabby. Francesca's is nice an tight." He looked at Ray totally serious. "Benny." "And Francesca's breasts are absolutely perfect. They fit just right." He made a gesture with his hands like he was cupping them. "Benny." "And her thighs Ray. God almighty she can..." "Benny!" "Ray there's no need to shout. I'm right here." "Stop it." "But Ray, Francesca's thighs are..." Ray stuck a finger in Fraser's face. "One more word out of you and I punch you." "But..." "Benny, no more talkin about Frannie." "Sorry."

Fraser picked up a beer from the table and began drinking it. He looked dejected as Ray turned from the dancer he was watching. He sighed. "All right, what's wrong?" Fraser stuck out his lower lip. "I miss Francesca." "Oh Jesus Christ, you'll see her in a few hours!" Dewey, Huey and Welsh all laughed. "Aw ain't you cute Fraser. You miss your wittle Fwannie." Fraser turned and glared at Dewey. "Yes she's mine and don't you forget it." Dewey pulled his chair back from Fraser. "Hey no problem. Lighten up. I was only kidding."

Fraser continued staring at Dewey, his eyes dark and narrowed. Dewey looked back at Ray. "Uh....Ray...could you..." He gestured at Fraser. Ray tapped him on the shoulder. "Benny, look at the dancers." "I don't want to. I want Francesca." "Oh come on! Have some fun." He visibly brightened. "I will have some fun later. Francesca said she was 'gonna give it to me but good' tonight." Everyone at the table snickered except for Ray. "She said she was gonna suck..." "Benny!!!" "What?" "Stop it." "But Ray her lips are..." "Stop it!" "But..." "No!" "I want to go home." Ray ran his hands over his face. "Benny...please just sit and drink. Don't talk about Frannie anymore." "O.K."

Fraser sat silently for a few minutes sipping his beer and then he chugged it. Fraser smiled as he put the bottle down. "She said she was gonna use maple syrup." "That's enough!" Fraser looked back at Ray rather hurt by his yelling in his face. "I need to us the facilities." "Over there. In that door." "Thank you Ray." He stood and slowly made his way across the bar, his path now had a slightly weave to it.

Dewey laughed at Ray the moment Fraser disappeared through the bathroom door. "So Frannie's good at sucking is she?" "Shut up! One more word Dewey and I pop you!" Welsh laughed. "It would explain why Big Red's always smiling now." Ray's mouth dropped open. Huey grinned. "Yes. There's nothing like a lady that can perform certain...services." "Oh come on you guys! That is sick! This is my sister you're talkin about here!" "Yeah, but she ain't Fraser's sister that's for damn sure. And what's with the maple syrup? That sounds kinda kinky to me." "Knock it off!"

Huey laughed and pointed across the bar towards the bathroom. Ray turned to look. "Oh shit!" He saw Fraser talking to a group of dancers. Getting up from his seat Ray quickly walked over to them. "Is there a problem here?" Fraser smiled. "No Ray. There ladies wanted to know if I was the new male dancer." Ray closed his eyes. "Oh please." He grabbed Fraser by the arm and pulled him back to their table. "Sit. You know you are way too trusting Benny." "You don't think I can dance?" Fraser made a move to climb up on the stage, but Ray hauled him back down.

"I know you can dance Benny. Just sit down." He handed Fraser another beer. "But I want to dance Ray." "No. It's ladies night only. Do you see any other guys performing?" Fraser looked up. "No Ray, I do not." As he stared up at the stage a buxom dancer came up to him, undulating her hips provocatively as she leaned forward until her ample breasts were almost in his face. He leaned back to avoid her as she reached out to touch the scar on his cheek. "You're cute honey. You busy later? I can show you how to dance." She smiled seductively. "Thank you kindly, but no. I already know how to dance." "That's too bad. You got a nice package." She backed away from him and continued making her way down the stage.

Fraser turned to find Dewey staring at his face. "What?" "That scar Fraser. The one she touched. Where'd you get it?" Fraser touched the mark and frowned slightly. "I ran through a tempered glass door." Dewey, Huey and Welsh all winced. Ray's face grew angry as he looked pointedly at them all. "That's the time Zuko almost had you killed." Fraser's face began to darken as well, but he immediately broke out into a big smile. "That's also the night that Francesca came to my apartment." Their eyebrows shot up and Ray quickly changed the subject.

"That's not much of a scar anyway. Look at this one." He rolled his sleeve of his turtleneck up, revealing a long, thin scar on his forearm. "Thrown into a fence and a rusty wire got me." Welsh snorted and pulled up his shirt, pointing at a scar on his abdomen. "Gunshot." Fraser laughed. "You think this is funny? I almost died!" "No it's not funny." He stood up and pulled off his shirt. "Benny put your shirt back on." Ray noticed a few of the dancers were slowly making their way to the table. Fraser began naming the various scars on his body.

"Got hit with a dead otter, slid into a barbed wire fence, polecat swiped me, Dief nipped me while playing and..." He turned his back to the table. "Ray shot me in the back." They all looked at the bullet wound and then slowly turned their gaze to Ray's white face. Fraser turned around and smiled at Ray. "And I thank him every day for doing it." He reached forward and hugged Ray, picking him up out of his chair. "Benny." His voice was strangled. "Put me down." Fraser set him down and smiled again. "Ray saved my life."

Dewey started laughing. "You know this reminds me of that scene in 'Jaws'. You know...where they compare shark bites." Fraser frowned. "I've never been bitten by a shark. I did step in a bear trap before. I can show you my other ones." He reached down and unbuttoned his jeans. Ray grabbed his arms as he pulled his zipper down. "No! We don't need to see your other scars Benny."

Ray heard a chorus of "Aw come on!" and "Take it off!" from the women who surrounded the table. Fraser smiled and yanked his jeans down. Ray grabbed him by the arms again. "Pull them back up!" "But Ray. They want to see my scars." "No they don't Benny, they want to see your ass." "Now that's just silly Ray. Why would they want to see my...ass." Fraser snickered. Ray glared at him. "Why did Frannie want to see it all the time?"

Fraser thought for a few seconds and then his eyes widened as he looked around at the women ogling him. "Ah." He pulled his jeans back up to the dismay of the women around him. He flopped back in his seat. "Ray, do I have a nice ass?" Welsh laughed. Dewey and Huey smiled. "Well Vecchio? Does he?" Fraser stared innocently at Ray waiting for his answer. "Ray?" "Yes Benny you have a nice ass. All the women at the station say so." "Really?" "Really." "What else do they say?"

Ray sighed. "Benny, just drink O.K.?" "All right Ray." Fraser picked up a beer and took a few sips before chugging it without batting an eye. Ray shook his head. *How in the hell can he do that?* They sat drinking for the next hour. Dewey got the bright idea of playing quarters to get Fraser to drink more, but he never lost. Fraser smiled as he won another round. "You guys suck at this game." He laughed at them and they immediately stopped playing.

Ray looked at Fraser rather miffed. "Is there anything you're not naturally good at?" Fraser grew silent, his face clouding over, his eyes getting a far away look to them. "Benny?" He looked back at Ray with tears in his eyes. "I'm not good at..." His voice drifted off and he turned his head away from Ray. His voice came out in a pleading whisper. "Can we go home?" Ray looked around the table and saw that the other men were now three sheets to the wind. Welsh's special bottle was drained. Fraser looked like he was about to break down and cry. *Oh boy.*

"Yeah Benny, we can go home now. How about we call it a night guys. I have to get Benny home and in bed." Fraser's head snapped up and he pushed his chair slightly back from Ray. "Frannie'll have a fit if I don't get him home soon." He visibly relaxed the moment he heard Ray mention Francesca's name. They all stood and made their way across the bar. "Hold on gentlemen. I need to use the bathroom." "Me too." "Make that three." "O.K. guys. Me an' Benny will be out front waiting for you." 

 

"Come on Benny." Ray had a tight hold on Fraser's shoulder and arm as he directed him out of the club. They stood under the street light watching the snow gently fall around them. Fraser lifted his face to the sky and smiled as the flakes touched his face and melted. "Do you miss Canada? I mean are you gonna regret marrying Frannie and stayin here?" Without opening his eyes Fraser shook his head no. "I miss the land Ray. I miss the quiet beauty of it all. But I would miss Francesca more."

Welsh, Huey and Dewey stumbled out of the building. "Vecchio, you think you can get the good Constable home in one piece?" Welsh was smiling and shaking his head at the Mountie standing before him looking skyward. "Yes Sir, I believe I can. If I don't Frannie'll kill me." Dewey leaned towards Ray and snickered. "Ya know Ray. For him not being a drinker, he sure downed enough of them." He squinted at Ray. "Are you sure you can drive?" "Yeah, I'm fine. I laid off of them hours ago."

Fraser opened his eyes and smiled as he stepped forward, holding his hand out to Ray. "I can drive." Ray pushed his hand away. "No thanks Benny." Fraser frowned at him. "You don't think I can drive do you? Just because I couldn't fly a plane, it doesn't mean I can't drive your car." "Benny you can hardly stand. You're not driving the Riv." "I can too!" Fraser pushed away from Ray and stood at attention. "See. I can stand." He waved a hand at Ray in irritation. "You are such a stiffy when it comes to that car. Loosen up!"

He reached forward to pat Ray on the shoulder and he fell face first onto the snow covered ground. A cab pulled up and Welsh, Huey and Dewey waved goodbye to Ray. "Have fun Vecchio." He could hear their laughter as the door closed shut on the cab. He watched the tail lights disappear down the street and then he turned his attention to Fraser, who was struggling to stand. Sighing, he grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back up, dusting the snow off of him. "Come on. Time to get you home."

Fraser blinked in confusion. "I thought I was staying at your house tonight?" "You are Benny." "Oh. O.K." Fraser snickered. "I bet I can get Francesca to do it on the dining room table." *Oh God help me!* "Benny, you are to stay out of the dining room, the kitchen, the porch, whatever. You aren't gonna be doin anything." "Ya wanna bet Ray?" "Come on." Ray pulled Fraser over to the Riv, opened the door and helped him get into the car. He unlocked the driver side door, but when he tried to open it, it was still locked. "Shit. This is all I need."

He unlocked the door again and just as he reached to open it, Fraser leaned across and locked it from the inside. *Christ!* "Benny, open the door!" Fraser sat in the Riv laughing. "Great. He has to be a stupid, happy drunk." Ray tapped the window. "Open the door!" Fraser smiled at him. Ray put the key back into the door and Fraser reached over and unlocked the door. As Ray withdrew the key, he locked it again. "Damn it Benny! Open the door!" Ray put his hand on the door handle as he placed the key in the lock again. Fraser pulled the lock halfway up, jamming it. Ray pounded on the window. "Benny open the fucking door!"

The window rolled down a bit. "Ray, windows can't fuck." He ran a hand over his face. *Calm down Ray. He's plastered and he doesn't know what the hell he's doin.* "Please Benny. Open the door, it's freezing out here." "O.K." The door opened and Ray quickly got in before Fraser changed his mind. He looked over at Fraser who was struggling to put his seat belt on, biting his tongue in deep concentration. Ray had to smile at the image he made. *A big overgrown kid. That's all he is.* "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "Let me do that for you." "O.K." He reached over and snapped the seat belt in place. Fraser smiled brightly at him. "Thank you kindly Ray. Buckle up for safety." "You're welcome Benny."

They drove for a few minutes before Ray noticed that Fraser was fidgeting in his seat. "Benny what's the matter?" Fraser smiled. "Can Francesca and I do it in the den again? On your recliner?" "No! No sex!" "How come Ray? I really want to. Bad. You know Ray, Francesca is the best I've ever had." "Stop it! I don't want to hear it!" "Ray, she's so damn tight." "That's enough! That's my sister you're talkin about!" Fraser grinned. "Thank God, she's not 'my' sister. You know she can..." "No! No more Benny! I'm serious!" "Well you don't have to yell Ray. I'm not deaf!" He stopped talking for a few minutes, then he looked back at Ray.

"Ray." "No!" "Ray, I..." "I said no Benny!" Fraser stared at him, then he yelled. "I have to go to the bathroom!" Ray jerked in his seat, startled by Fraser's yelling. "Why didn't you say so?" *Please God. Just let me get home. I swear I'll never do this to him again. Just let me get home.* "Pull over Ray." "Can't you hold it until I find a gas station?" "No. Pull over." "Benny just hold it." "Ray, I have to go now. If you don't pull over, I'll roll the window down and pee on the Riv." Ray's head snapped back to look at him. "Oh no you won't! Just hold it! I know there's a station about a mile from here."

Fraser undid his seat belt and rolled down the window. "Benny put the window back up." "I have to pee!" He unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them and started to stand in his seat. Ray slammed the brakes on, throwing Fraser into the dashboard. "Ow! Son of a bitch, Ray! Watch what you're doing!" "Get out of the car." Fraser opened the door and stumbled out. He pulled himself out of his jeans. Just as he was ready to pee on a wall in the alley that Ray had stopped at, he looked at the fresh white snow on the ground and began to smile. Turning from the wall, he stared at the snow frowning.

Ray watched Fraser as he stood holding his penis, staring at the snow. *Oh come on! What is he doin?* He got out of the Riv and walked over to him. "Benny, what are you doin?" "Ray. How come Francesca couldn't have a name like Lisa or Kim?" *What?* Ray looked back at Fraser thoroughly confused. "Benny will you just piss so we can go home." "I don't know if I can do it." "You can't piss?" "No Ray. I don't know if I can spell Francesca in the snow. It's too damn long." Ray took a deep breath trying to calm himself. Gritting his teeth he spoke slowly to Fraser. "Will you just piss." *Please, please, please don't let me kill him.*

"Ray, Ray, Ray. You need to calm down." He staggered back to the wall and leaned against it as he peed. Ray watched him as he struggled to tuck himself back in his jeans and zip them back up. He stood for a few seconds not moving and then he weaved a slow path back to the Riv. Ray held the door open and he crawled into the front seat. They drove in silence for another minute or two before Fraser spoke again. "Ray?" "What?" "Do you have any maple syrup at home?" "Yeah Ma just bought...oh no you don't!" "Francesca likes to pour it on my..." "Shut up Benny!" *What is with the maple syrup?!* "But Ray..." "I said no!"

Fraser looked over at him and laughed as he pushed back against the car seat. "You really hate it. You can't stand the idea of Francesca and I having sex." He laughed again and then grew serious. "You know Ray, seriously." "Yeah?" "She likes to poor it on my di..." "Stop it!" Fraser laughed again and rested his head on the window. Ray mumbled under his breath. "I swear to God I'm gonna kill Dewey for makin that drink."

Fraser was silent for more than a few minutes, causing Ray to look over at him. He still had his head leaning against the window, but now he was crying. *Aw man! Why is he crying?* "Benny what's wrong?" "Nothing." "Something's wrong or you wouldn't be crying." He crossed his arms and turned his back to Ray. *Shit.* "Benny what's wrong? Answer me." His voice came out slightly muffled as he spoke. "I miss my Mum and Dad. I'm finally getting married and we're going to have a family and neither one of them are here." "Aw geez Benny, I'm sorry." He watched as Fraser began to cry uncontrollably. Ray's voice was soft and gentle. "Benny you're not alone. You have family. You have us." He sat up a little and wiped a hand across his face. "I know, but I wish they were here. I miss them." He sniffed and wiped his face again. "You know my Dad didn't want to see me all that much because I looked so much like my Mum. I never did get to know him and now he's gone too." He stopped talking and laid his head against the window again. Ray tried to get him to talk but he remained silent. *Crap. He was better when he was bein a happy drunk.* 

 

Ray climbed out of the drivers seat and walked around to help Fraser get out of the Riv. As they walked up to the porch, Fraser pushed away from Ray. Walking into the front yard he lay down in the snow staring at the sky. "Come on Benny, get up and come inside." "No, I'm going to sleep out here." "You can't sleep in the snow, you'll freeze to death." "Oh for God's sake Ray, I'm from the Territories, I'm not going to freeze to death in Chicago!" "You're coming inside."

Ray reached down and tried to pick him up, but he was dead weight. "Get up!" Fraser's voice was hard. "Make me." Running a hand over his face, Ray sighed. "Benny please get up." "No." "If you don't get up I'm gonna kick your ass!" Fraser snickered. "No you won't Ray. I can beat the tar out of you." "Is that so?" Fraser wiggled his feet back and forth, smiling up at Ray. "Yup." The front door opened and Francesca walked out onto the porch staring at Fraser laying in the snow.

"What in the hell is going on?!" Ray took a step backwards. "Uh...hi Frannie." He tensed up. *Here it comes.* She pointed a finger down at Fraser's supine figure. "Is he drunk?!" The shock in her voice was unmistakable. "You son of a bitch Ray! You got him drunk! I swear to God, if he gets sick I'm gonna kill you! Get him in here now!" "He won't come in." "What?" "He refuses to get up Frannie." "Benton." "Yes Francesca?" Fraser was smiling up at her.. She couldn't help grinning back at him. He looked so cute laying in the snow wiggling his feet back and forth like a little kid. "Could you please get up and come inside." "Yes my love."

Fraser rolled over and pushed himself up. He smiled at Ray as he made his way unsteadily to the porch. Francesca's face was livid. "Jesus Christ, Ray! He can't even walk!" Fraser stopped and looked down at the steps, not moving any further. Her voice grew softer as she talked to him. "What's the matter Benton?" He frowned. "I can't feel my feet." Her eyes shifted to Ray, blazing in anger. "You're dead meat Ray." Her voice softened again as she talked to Fraser. "Benton, grab the rail and take my hand. That's it. Nice and slow."

He finally made it onto the porch and hugged Francesca. "Thank you." She hugged him back, sniffing him as she did it. *He smells like a brewery!* "Benton, how much did you have to drink?" He closed his eyes while he thought about it. When he opened them, he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Ask Ray, he paid for all of it." Ray cringed when Francesca glared at him. *Thanks a lot Benny!*

Fraser hugged Francesca again and nuzzled her neck. "Ray said we can't do it on the porch tonight." He pulled back and smiled down at her. "Remember the first time we did it? We..." She covered his mouth with her hand. "Yes I remember Benton." She held a hand up showing him five fingers and began to laugh as Fraser's smile broadened. "You are sick Frannie" Fraser turned unsteadily to look at Ray. "How do you know what we're talking about?" "Uh...Maria told me." Fraser turned to Francesca with a puzzled look on his face, his voice slightly whiny. "How come everyone knows how many times we did it?" Francesca looked nervously back at him. "Uh...you told all of them." "I did?" His brow knitted in confusion. "Yes Benton." "Oh. O.K."

He leaned forward and chuckled. "I tried to tell Ray about the maple syrup, but he wouldn't let me finish." She started to giggle and Fraser hugged her, his voice suggestive. "Are you hungry Francesca?" "We'll see Benton. Let's get you inside." He smiled lewdly at her. "That's what I want to do. Get inside." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "That is disgusting!" Fraser looked at Ray again, his face puzzled once more. "Why Ray?" Ray stared back at him trying to think of a reason. "Uh...because it is." Fraser smiled again. "It's disgusting because" He turned back to Francesca. 'he doesn't like to think about us doing it."

He picked Francesca up and hugged her tightly. "Too bad Ray. She's mine and I'm gonna fuck her brains out tonight and there's nothing you can do about it." "Benton!" Francesca's shocked face quickly turned angry once more as she look down at Ray. "You are in deep shit Ray!" Fraser set her down and looked at Ray frowning. "No Francesca that is incorrect. Ray is in snow, not...shit." He started giggling and then hiccuped. "Pardon me." She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. "Come on, let's go inside, I'm freezing."

Fraser put his hands around her waist as he moved to walk behind her. "I know a way I can warm you up." She laughed as he tickled her. "I know you do and you're very good at it." "Thank you kindly." She turned around to him and took his hand once more and led him into the foyer. Ray followed them in, hoping Francesca wouldn't be able to get to the door first and lock him out. "Give me your coat Benton." He struggled to pull it off, almost falling over in the process. He handed it to her and then sank to the floor and began undoing his boots. "Benton, what are you doing?" He smiled innocently up at her. "Ma wouldn't want me tracking the floor up." She grinned. "Isn't he cute Ray?" "Oh yeah, he's really cute. You didn't see him tryin to piss your name in the snow."

Francesca started laughing as Fraser smiled up at her, his cheeks turning pink. "I couldn't do it. Your name is too long." Tossing each boot behind him as he took them off, Fraser tried to stand up, only to fall back to the floor with a heavy thud. Francesca looked down at him shaking her head. "Ray you are gonna pay for this. Help me get him up." As Ray reached for Fraser, he pushed himself back across the floor, his eyes wide and panicky. "That's where I draw the line Francesca. He's 'not' touching me!" "What? Benton what are you...oh for Christ's sake! I didn't mean 'that'!" "Oh." He visibly relaxed. Ray looked at Francesca in confusion. "I'm almost afraid to ask." She grinned. "He thought I wanted you to help 'get him up'. She stared at Ray waiting for his reaction.

Ray looked at her blankly and then he made a disgusted face as the meaning of it dawned on him. "That is gross! Come on Benny. Give me your hand." Fraser held his hand out to Ray and he was pulled up to stand unsteadily. He stumbled slightly as he walked over to Francesca and stood behind her, giving her a hug. He kissed the top of her head. "Only Francesca gets to touch me." She patted his arm. "That's right Benton. Your mine. No one else can touch you. Now let's put you to bed." She moved towards the den, but he pulled her roughly to him as he moved towards the stairway.

"No, I want to sleep with you." "You can't. Certain people would have a fit." She looked pointed at Ray and Fraser looked at him as well. "I don't care. I'm not going to sleep by myself. I'm going to sleep with you." He hugged her again. "Besides...I want some." "No Benny! No way in hell are you sleeping with her!" Fraser yelled loudly back at Ray, his face growing angry. "I'm not sleeping alone Ray!" "Sssh! Benton you can sleep with me. Just be quiet. Let's go." Ray blocked their path to the stairs. "Frannie, he is not sleeping with you." Ray, don't argue with me. You got him drunk. It's all your fault he's acting like this." "I don't care. He's not sleeping with you."

Fraser turned Francesca around and backed her up against the wall. "Can we play around?" Ray shook his head in disgust. "No you can't play around!" Fraser totally ignored Ray as he pinned Francesca's arms above her head and began to nibble at her neck. "Benny stop that!" Francesca looked calmly at Ray. "Go to bed Ray. I'll take care of Benton." "Frannie..." "No arguing! Go. I'll take care of him." "Yeah, I bet you'll take care of him." "Don't get pissy with me. Go!" Ray took one last look at them as Fraser let her arms go and embraced her, pushing up against her as he kissed her passionately. Ray backed away from them. *Shit. I don't want to see this.*

He turned and ran up the stairs to the safety of his room. He sat on his bed talking softly to himself as he rubbed his hands over his thighs. "I can't believe him. He's probably gonna do Frannie right on the stairs." He shuddered trying to get the mental picture out of his head. He left his door open just in case Maria or Tony heard anything and were going to head downstairs to check things out. He might as well catch them before they got an eye full. "I should have never let him drink." 

 

As Fraser kissed her, one part of her brain said 'let's do it here' and the other part said 'no, you have to get him upstairs'. *How in the hell am I gonna get him up those steps?* She broke off their kiss by pushing him on the shoulders. Looking at him, he didn't initially appear drunk, but...he was. "Benton, we need to go up to my room." Smiling he shook his head no and pushed her back up against the wall. "No. I want to do it here." She tried hiding her smile, but it was almost impossible. "We can't do it here. Someone might come down and find us."

He held his watch close to his face and squinted. Then he snickered. "Nope. It's three o'clock. We're doing it here." He kissed her again and Francesca tried to push him away again, but he was insistent. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he gently explored her, then nipped and sucked at her tongue. Francesca found herself responding to his onslaught as he held her body tightly to his. When he moved to her neck to place light kisses on her skin, she found herself panting. She really did want to do it on the stairs.

"Benton." Fraser had untied her robe and had reached in and pushed up her nightie, lightly running his fingers over her stomach. His gentle nipping at her neck was driving her crazy. "Benton, we need to...oh God." He stared into her eyes, smiling at her as he edged his fingers into the crotch of her underwear, dragging them over her sex. With agonizing slowness he began to softly stroke her, leaning in to kiss her deeply once more. Francesca forgot all about getting Fraser up the stairs.

As he slid a finger into her, he broke off the kiss, breathing heavily against her neck, whispering into her ear. "I love you so much Francesca." Pulling his hand away from her, she let out a small moan as he pushed her robe off her shoulders and began kissing her breasts through the material of her nightie. Pulling away he looked irritated and then proceeded to rip off the nightie, tucking his head back down he sucked hungrily at her breast, running his hands behind her back, he pulled her to him.

When he first ripped off her nightie, Francesca was startled, but she quickly forgot it as he continued his bites and kisses on her body. She pulled at his shirt. She wanted to feel his hot skin against her own. Fraser pushed away from her and stripped his shirt off, then staring into her eyes he pulled off his jeans and boxers. Francesca giggled as she looked at his socks still on his feet. Looking down, he grinned and pulled them off as well, almost falling over in the process. She immediately remembered why they shouldn't be where they were. Fraser was standing before her naked in the stairway of her home, drunk off his ass and she was standing across from him in only her underwear. *This is not right and you know it.*

He reached forward, cupping her face in his hands, moving slowly against her as he kissed her. Placing her hands against his chest, she had every intention of pushing him away. She had to get him upstairs. But he was so tender. So sweet. The feel of his hot erection throbbing against her stomach...moving was the last thing she wanted to do. His hand moved down her side and grasped the hem of her panties and with a quick jerk, he ripped them off, letting them drop to the stairs where her torn nightie lay.

Francesca tried again to push him away. It still nagged at the back of her head that they had to go upstairs. She had let things get way out of hand. *Ray was right. I'm taking care of him.* She opened her eyes to find Fraser intently staring at her, his eyes dark as he pressed her back against the wall. Wedging a leg between hers he pushed them apart. Kissing her neck, he spoke in a low husky tone. 'Do you want me Francesca?" She leaned her head back as he nibbled at her neck and collarbone, her voice a breathy whisper. "Yes."

She felt the hardness of him, silky and hot, rubbing between her thighs. He didn't penetrate her, he only slid himself gently against her sex as he cupped a breast, running a thumb over her hardened nipple. "What do you want Francesca?" Looking up at him, she felt a small thrill run through her. The anticipation of the moment completely blocked out any concerns for getting caught. "I want to feel you...inside me." With a gentle smile he kissed her. She felt his hand parting her, his head brushing against her opening and then with an agonizing slowness he filled her.

She heard a sound that was her own soft moan mixed with Fraser's harsh breathing. As he began his gentle thrusts, Francesca pushed herself against the wall, clutching at his shoulders. Something about this felt so right. The feeling of him was hotter, but softer at the same time. Her moans became louder when he began to push into her with more force and speed. "This is so...God you feel so good Francesca." He again slowed his thrusting down until he was smoothly entering her, almost coming out, then softly pushing back into her. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his shoulders drawing blood. "Oh yes...please..."

He smiled at her again, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "I love you. Always." He pulled back slightly to look at her, a single tear tracking it's way down his cheek. As she brought a hand to his face, he kissed her fingers and grasped them in his own. Pressing his weight against her, he claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss as his thrusts became more urgent and hard. Breaking the kiss he bit her neck and then sucked at the skin, marking her as his. "I want you to cum for me Francesca." As he repeatedly thrust against her, she could feel herself tightening.

He pushed her back onto the wall, holding her under her arms so that her feet dangled only inches from the stairs. Bringing her legs up she wrapped them around his waist and flung her arms around his neck as she felt her orgasm peak, then the pulsing sensations that made her body grow hot washed over her. Her moans filled the hall with their sound and then Fraser's deeper ones echoed with hers.

He didn't try to release her as he came. He held tightly onto her, still pushing into her, grabbing her ass to move into her. As he convulsed and strained against her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked his head against her shoulder. "Oh my." It was a whisper that was followed by their silence. The only sounds to be heard were their heavy breathing as they held each other tightly. She loved the feel of him as he throbbed within her. She wished they didn't have to move, but as always she knew they would eventually have to. She kissed his neck and sighed in contentment. But her dreamy smile was replaced by shock and then giggles as her eyes snapped open.

With a small laugh, she pulled back to look at Fraser. He stared back at her with love shining in his eyes. *Two more weeks until the wedding and I forget.* Sliding a hand to his chest, she felt his heart pounding, his breathing still hard. Laying her head back on his shoulder she smiled again. That was the slight difference. That was what made it seem newer. Something she hadn't felt before. They were in the stairway of her home, together completely for the first time. No Lucky13 was between them.

As their breathing returned to normal Francesca looked back at Fraser, running her hand lightly through his hair, giving him a gentle kiss. "Benton, we should go up to my room now." His answer was to kiss her back, just as gently as she had done to him. It was soft and sweet, no longer lust filled. "I love you." She smiled at him. "I love you too, But I think you're gonna be a little upset with me when you sober up." He looked at her with a confused expression. "Why?" Ruffling his hair, she grinned. "When you're able to remember, I'll tell you." He grinned back at her. "O.K." Francesca unwrapped her legs from Fraser's waist and he released his hold on her. She felt him slowly slide from her. The sensation was slightly different, because they hadn't pulled away so fast. It was nice. As he set her down all she could think about was what tomorrow would bring. *He is gonna be pissed at me.* 

 

"Benton, could you please put these on." Francesca handed Fraser his boxers as she put on her robe. Her panties and nightie were shot. Balling them up she decided to save them to show Fraser what he was like when he was drunk. Picking up his shirt, jeans and socks, she folded them and set them on top of his boots sitting in the foyer. That would be too much to carry up the stairs and help him get up the steps as well.

Fraser was now leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. "Are you ready to try the stairs?" He didn't answer her, but grabbed the railing and pulled himself slowly up, one step at a time. Halfway up he sat on a step and leaned back against the wall. "Come on Benton, you only have a few more steps." Closing his eyes he frowned. "I'm tired and I don't feel well." *Oh boy. It's gonna start soon. Ray you are dead meat!*

"Please get up. Once you're in my room you can go to sleep. O.K.?" Fraser pushed himself up and made his way up the last few steps. "Francesca, I don't feel very well." "I know you don't." She patted him lightly on the shoulder and directed him to her room. "Come on, lay down." He crawled up on the bed and lay down on his back breathing heavily and swallowing. *Oh crap.* Francesca grabbed the wastebasket and set it next to the bed. Taking one last look at him, she walked out of the room and headed for Ray's bedroom.

She expected to find him asleep, but he was sitting on the end of his bed looking at her as she came in. "Ray can you go downstairs and get me a bucket please." He nodded his head and got up. As he walked past Francesca's room he peeked in at Fraser laying on the bed. *He is gonna be sick as a dog.* After going to the bathroom Francesca went back into her room, blinking in surprise at what she saw. Instead of seeing Fraser throwing up in the wastebasket, he was curled up on his side in a fetal position fast asleep. Maybe she would luck out and he wouldn't get sick at all.

Ray walked cautiously into the room and set the bucket down on the floor. He looked Fraser over before turning an angry gaze at his sister. "Way to talk Benny up the stairs Frannie." She glared back at him. "Shut up Ray." "You know you're lucky he didn't throw up on you." "You're lucky I haven't hit you. Damn it Ray, you know he doesn't drink!" Ray looked back at Fraser who appeared to be sleeping peacefully, oblivious to their discussion. "Yeah, I kinda feel bad now." "What is it with you guys anyway? Did you think this was funny?" She gestured at Fraser and Ray started grinning. "Well...he was pretty funny. Some of the stuff that came out of his mouth. Ya know he almost got into a fight at the game." "What?!" "Oh yeah. And then some of the comments he made. If Huey and Dewey remember half of them, they're gonna torment Benny to death." Looking down at his innocent face she frowned. "Was he really that bad?"

Ray ran a hand across his face. "Well...not really. It's...when you're not use to him talking like that at all and then to hear him saying some of the shit he said tonight. It wasn't the same person you see every day." Ray cocked his head to the side and smiled as he looked Fraser over once more. "Man he is dead to the world. Just make sure he doesn't sleep on his back." Ray moved to leave the room and Francesca grabbed his arm. "Excuse me Ray. Maybe you should stay in here and watch him. You're the one responsible for all of this." "You are kidding. You want me to sleep in here? With him?" Ray's face looked slightly panicked. The idea of dealing with a possibly puking Mountie did not sit well with him.

Francesca looked back at Fraser. "Ya know, I really should make you stay with him, but I won't. Go to bed." With a relieved sigh, Ray moved to leave again and she snapped at him. "But if I yell for you, you had better get your ass in here really fast. Do you understand me?" "Yeah. I will. Ya know, I'm kinda surprised he hasn't gotten sick yet. He really put a hell of a lot of..." Francesca held a hand up to Ray. "Out. I don't even want to hear it. You can tell him how much he drank and what he did when he gets up. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it all." "O.K. Night Frannie. Thanks." Her voice was sarcastic. "Yeah. Thanks for everything Ray." She pushed him out of the room and closed the door. *This is too easy. I know he's gonna throw up. There's no way I'm gonna be lucky enough for him to sleep it off.*

She crawled up on the bed and sat against the headboard, looking at Fraser as he slept. He looked so peaceful. She ran her hand through his hair and then over his shoulder and back. She sat next to him for over an hour watching him. *I guess he's gonna sleep it off after all.* With a contented sigh, she lay down next to him and curled against his back and fell asleep. 

 

Francesca woke up and felt the space next to her empty. Sitting up, she looked around the room and on the floor. Fraser wasn't there. The door was open and Angelo stood in the doorway looking nervous. "Angelo? What's wrong?" "Uncle Benny's sick." "Um...yes he is honey. Do you know where he is?" As soon as she asked Angelo the question, she heard Ray in the hall yelling at Fraser. "Open the door Benny!" Francesca got out of bed and walked over to kneel down in front of Angelo. "Can you go downstairs please. I'm gonna take care of Uncle Benny. Ray isn't very good with sick adults, only little kids."

Angelo's upset face turned into a confused scowl. "But Uncle Ray is always sayin that Uncle Benny is still a kid." She smiled at him. "I know what Uncle Ray says about him. That's because Uncle Benny is still...cute. Go downstairs and watch some cartoons or something, all right?" Angelo's face became a worried one again as Ray yelled in the hall once more. "Will Uncle Benny be O.K.?" Angelo looked like he was about to cry. "Yes he'll be fine. Go on." Francesca ruffled his hair and turned him around, pushing him slightly towards the stairs. Angelo ran through the hall and disappear down the stairs.

As Francesca walked softly down the hall Ray hit the bathroom door with the palm of his hand. "Benny! Open the door!" "Ray!" He spun around and glared at her. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She snickered and then grew serious. "What's wrong?" Ray looked exasperated. "He's locked himself in the bathroom and he's sick as a dog Frannie. What if he passes out and chokes to death?!" "Oh calm down, he's not gonna die." She put her face close to the door and talked in a soothing tone.

"Benton, could you please open the door." She could hear him moving slowly towards the door and the lock clicked. Ray moved to go in the room, but she blocked his path. "No Ray. He wants me in there. Not 'you'. You've done enough!" She pushed the door open just enough for her to squeeze through and then she shut it. "Oh Benton." Her voice was a whisper as she looked down at him.

Fraser was laying face down on the bathroom floor, breathing heavily. Kneeling down, she rested her hand on his head. "Can you get up?" His voice came out in a weak whiny tone. "No." *Crap.* "Can you at least try and get up?" He began crying as he tried to pull himself up. Grabbing him by the arm, she tried to help him sit up. "God, Benton. You're heavy!" He collapsed back to the floor. "Have you thrown up?" He nodded yes. "How many times?" He took a deep breath and started crying again. His voice was muffled as he rested his head on his arm. "Four." "Four!" *Shit.*

She stood up and opened the door, surprised to see Ray still standing there. She glared at him, her voice tight. "Can you get Maria up here?" "Yeah. What's wrong?" "Just get her!" She shut the door in his face. Turning back around, Francesca saw Fraser struggling to reach the toilet. "Shit! Benton..." She cringed as he began to throw up, lucky for her, he made it to the toilet in time. *There's number five.* "You know this is the last thing I'd ever picture 'you' doin." He feebly reached up to flush the toilet. "Here let me." Closing her eyes, she reached over Fraser and flushed the toilet. *Eeewwww.*

Getting a washcloth, she rinsed it in cold water and wiped his face off. Maria's muffled voice came through the closed door. "Frannie?" "You can come in Maria. It's unlocked." Maria walked in and stared at Fraser, then she walked back into the hall and grabbed Ray roughly by the arm and dragged him into the bathroom. "Look Ray! Look at him!" She slapped Ray hard on the head. "What in the hell were you thinking?! Is this funny?!" She pointed down at Fraser. "I swear Frannie, men have got to be the dumbest things on earth." She turned back to Ray and shoved him. "Get out!" Ray found himself standing back in the hall again, the door slamming in his face once more. 

 

"How many times has he puked Frannie?" "He said four times and he just threw up again." Maria shook her head and frowned. "He's gonna' be dehydrated. We'll have to get some water in him and maybe a few crackers." She walked over to the door and flung it open, startling Ray who stood staring dumbly back at her. "Go downstairs and bring up some crackers." "Crackers?" "Did I stutter?" "Uh...no. I'll be back." Maria slammed the door in his face again, leaving Ray to stare at the door once more. "What am I? Freaking room service?" His muttered question got a response. The door opened and Maria stormed out, pushing Ray in the chest. "What part of 'get the crackers' didn't you understand!" Ray backed away from his livid sister and hurried down the stairs.

Closing the door softly, she snickered as Francesca smirked back at her. "He deserves it." Francesca's smirk grew into a smile. "Hey you won't get any arguments from me." Maria looked at Fraser slumped on the floor. "Can he sit up?" Francesca made a disgusted face. "No, not unless he's hugging the toilet." Francesca looked at her sister face scrunched up in concentration. "He's too heavy to pick up Maria." "Him? He doesn't look that big." "He's solid. Like a rock." "Oh come on Frannie, he can't be any heavier than Ray. Look how trim he is. Help me sit him up."

Francesca knelt down on the floor and talked softly to Fraser as she stroked his hair. "Benton, Maria's gonna help me pick you up. Can you try and sit up for us?" He didn't answer her, but he tried pushing himself up. Francesca and Maria grabbed an arm and pulled him up until he was leaning against the tub. They were slightly out of breath after they did it. As they stood up Maria grinned. "Whew! You weren't kidding Frannie. He's a load." "Told you."

Maria looked Fraser over and then smiled at Francesca. "Doesn't he crush you when you're doing it?" Francesca giggled. "No. Does Tony smash you?" "Yes. All the time. Sometimes I can't even breath." "Really? Benton never does that to me. The Pig use to." Maria knelt back down and ran her hand over Fraser's chest. "Nice. He's tight." "Maria! You shouldn't do that! He's already afraid of you." "Why?" "Because I told him what you thought about his body." "You did not! Frannie you are such a bitch!" "Why am I a bitch?" "Don't go telling him stuff like that. The poor guy probably thinks I want to do him." "Well...you do." Maria smiled. "So sue me. Look at him." Francesca shook her head and laughed. "No sharesies Maria. He's all mine."

Maria reached out and touched Fraser's shoulders, lightly tracing some red marks on them. She looked up at Francesca, a leer on her face. "So how did he get these Frannie?" "Um...well...we were...we..." "You were doing it in the stairway last night. I heard you." "You did not!" Maria giggled. "Frannie, you two have got to be two of the most vocal people I know. I never once heard Ma and Pop doing it..." Francesca made a disgusted face. "and I never heard Ray doing it either." "Ray?" "Yeah. He's snuck a few girls in here before. He was quiet. You two...you're noisy as hell!" Maria laughed and then a light knock sounded at the door.

Maria smiled and held a finger up to Francesca for her to be quiet. Walking to the door she flung it open and before Ray could say anything, she grabbed the package of crackers from his hand and slammed the door shut in his face again. Clutching the box to her chest she struggled to not laugh, her face growing red with the effort. Francesca whispered to her, suppressing her own laughter. "You are too good Maria." Once they got control of themselves, Maria opened the box of crackers and handed a few to Francesca. Grabbing a Dixie cup from the sink, she filled it with cold water.

"Benton, I need you to try and drink some water, O.K.?" Maria handed her the cup and watched as Fraser took a small sip. It took some time but Francesca was able to get Fraser to slowly drink the entire cup of water and eat one cracker. Francesca stood and stretched, her back was stiff from kneeling on the floor and bending over so much. They both sighed as Fraser slumped over and laid back on the floor again. Maria smiled sadly. "You know Frannie this is pretty sad. Fraser drunk and sloppy looks better than Tony does sober. You're lucky, you know that don't you?" Francesca smiled slightly, her voice sarcastic. "Oh yeah. I'm really lucky. He's been puking his guts up all morning and I have no idea what he did last night." Maria grinned. "Well, think of it this way. 'He's' been puking his guts up and I bet he doesn't even remember what 'he' did last night." They looked at one another and burst out laughing.

Francesca stared down at Fraser's prone figure. "Maria we need to get him off of the floor. How are we gonna do it?" "Well...I really don't think you want to take him out of here just yet. Unless you like the idea of vomit all over your comforter." Francesca grimaced. "No, I don't think so. But we need to get him off the floor." "Why? If we sit him on the toilet where is he going to puke? In the wastebasket? That'll stink to high heaven. And if we put him in the tub, all he'll do is puke all over himself." Francesca smiled and Maria gave her a sideways glance, wondering what her sister was thinking.

"That's a great idea Maria." "The tub? You're joking right?" "No. If we can get him in there, I can wake him up some. You know...a cold shower." Maria chuckled. "You are evil Frannie. I think you had better be ready for him to be pissed at you. Have you ever had that done to you before?" "No. But look at him!" Francesca gestured at Fraser passed out on the floor. Maria looked down at Fraser. He was slumped against the tub, looking like an angel taking a nap. She let her eyes trail slowly down his body and then she smiled. "Maria?" *Water and white boxers!* "That's a good idea after all Frannie. Let's get him in there."

Francesca gave Maria a questioning look and then she knelt down next to Fraser. "Benton." She lightly shook him by the shoulder. He finally opened his eyes and squinted up at her. His eyes were red and tear filled. Reaching up, he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would happen." Maria rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, aren't we lucky. We have a crying drunk." Francesca returned Fraser's hug and patted him lightly on the shoulder, turning her head to glare up at Maria, her voice tight. "Well, it better than him being like Pop." "Yeah, you're right. Thank God he's not hitting anyone. He'd probably kill them."

Francesca continued to hug Fraser as she talked softly to him, his face buried in her shoulder as he cried. "Benton, we need to get you in the tub. You have to get cleaned up." His muffled response confused her. "I did clean her up. The blood was everywhere." *Blood?* She looked back at Maria who shrugged her shoulders. Reaching down, Maria gently took a hold of Fraser's arm and Francesca pulled at Fraser to stand. Between the two of them pulling and Fraser stumbling to stand, they managed to maneuver him into the tub. He leaned against the cold tile wall, silently crying, hugging his arms around himself.

"Frannie what's the matter with him? This isn't just a crying jag." Francesca looked at Fraser and jumped forward as he slid down the wall and sat in the tub. He tucked his head against his knees, wrapping his arms around his legs, pulling himself into a tight ball. "Benton?" The door to the bathroom opened and Ray peeked his head in. "What's going on?" Francesca and Maria both turned to Ray looking worried. "I don't know. He said he was sorry and then he said something about cleaning her up and the blood was every where." Ray walked over and knelt beside Francesca, resting a hand on Fraser's shoulder. "Benny?" Fraser pulled away from his touch.

Francesca sighed. "Can you two wait outside for a few minutes? Please." "Sure" Ray stood up and he and Maria left the room. Stepping into the tub, Francesca sat down and hugged Fraser. He reached out and clutched her to his chest, crying uncontrollably. "It's O.K. Benton. Everything's all right." She rocked him slightly as she rubbed his back. His crying slowly subsided to him hiccuping and breathing deep shuddering breaths and that finally stopped as she felt his weight grow heavy in her arms. He had cried himself to sleep. "Benton, what is wrong with you?" Her whispered question went unanswered as she listened to his steady rhythmic breathing. She sat for another five minutes, holding him and rubbing his back, feeling her legs growing numb.

She looked up as the bathroom door slowly opened again. Ray and Maria cautiously walked over and looked down at them. "You think he's safe enough to put to bed?" Francesca looked blankly up at Ray. "I think so. He hasn't puked in a while. Maria can you maybe go and get Tony in here to help pick him up?" "Sure thing Frannie. I'll be right back." Maria walked out and Ray looked sadly at Fraser. "Did he say anything more?" "No, he just cried a lot. Ray, he was heart broken. This wasn't just him being sick." "Yeah, I could tell. Something's not right. It sounds like someone died and he couldn't help them."

Ray's face lit up. "That's it! I think I know what's wrong. I asked him tonight if there wasn't anything he could do and he started to say something and then he got all depressed and shut down. And later he was talkin about his mom and dad. Then he goes and says he couldn't help her and the blood. Maybe he's talkin about his mom." "You think so?" "Yeah. He was crying in the car about how much he misses his mom and dad." "You poor thing." Francesca gently stroked his hair, images of Fraser as a small boy watching his mother die. "You're probably right Ray. You know he never talks about how she died. It had to be pretty traumatic for a little kid to see." Ray nodded his head in agreement as she continued to hold Fraser in a protective hug.


	4. Chapters 76 to 100

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited original form from Red a Suits You. Will edit at a later date.

Tony and Maria walked into the bathroom. "Whoa Ray! You did this to him?" "I didn't 'do' anything to him." "Did you let him drink?" "Well...yeah." "You did it to him then. He doesn't drink. Man what kind of friend are you anyway?" "Look Tony it's none of your..." "Hey!" Maria shouted and then glared at them both. "Shut up and let's get him into bed." Francesca slowly let go of Fraser and tried to stand up. "Shit." Ray sighed. "What now?" "My legs are asleep. Can you help me up?" Ray reached down and pulled her out of the tub, watching Fraser slump forward against the side of the tub. "Aw Benny, I'm sorry."

Ray and Tony struggled to pick Fraser up and carried him to Francesca's bedroom where they dropped him on the bed. Ray straightened out his arms and legs, patting him on the shoulder when he was done. Francesca pushed them towards the door. "Thanks guys. You can all go now, I can handle it from here." "You need anything just yell for me." "I will Maria. Thanks alot." After closing the door, Francesca covered Fraser up with the comforter and lay down next to him. Looking at his tear stained face, she ran her fingers through his hair. With a soft sigh she rested her head on his shoulder. Hopefully when he woke up later he would feel better. She didn't know if she could handle seeing him cry like that again. 

 

Francesca heard a light tapping on her bedroom door. Stretching, she looked at the clock next to her bed. *Eleven-thirty!* Glancing at Fraser's still sleeping form she smiled slightly. His face was peaceful, his body relaxed. The door to the room opened slowly. "Frannie?" "Come on in." Maria walked quietly and stood next to the bed looking down at Fraser. She rested her hand on his forehead. "How's he doing?" "O.K. I guess. I fell asleep." "Well...he looks a lot better. Do you want to wake him up to check on how he feels?" "I don't know about that. Why take the chance of his getting up and having to puke again."

Francesca reached a hand out to touch his cheek. "I'm almost afraid to wake him up. He might start crying again, he might get sick. I don't know what to do." "Ah, wake him up just to check on him. He's not going to die you know." Maria smiled at Francesca who then sat up and bit her lip. "Do it Frannie." She reached out and cautiously pushed Fraser on the shoulder. "Benton, wake up." When he didn't respond she smiled and pushed him several more times while calling his name. "He's out Maria."

She rolled off the bed and stretched again. "Can you sit with him for a few minutes? I need to go to the bathroom and get a sandwich. I'm starving!" "Sure thing." Maria sat on the edge of the bed looking at Fraser. Just as Francesca was about to leave the room she poked her head back in. "No touching him, Maria." She laughed as she went down the hall to use the bathroom. With a frown she looked at the tub, hearing Fraser's crying echo in her mind. After going to the bathroom, she hurried down to the kitchen to make herself a sandwich and grab a drink to bring back to her room. She found Ray sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch.

He looked sheepishly up at her. "Afternoon Frannie." Crossing her arms she stood above him. "Thanks a lot Ray. I thought you would take care of him. How could you let him do that?!" Ray put his sandwich down and glared up at her. "Ya know he is a grown man. He didn't have to drink anything at all if he didn't want to." "Uh huh. And you would have made fun of him until he did drink. And who bought him the beers anyway?" Ray was silent. She was right. "I thought so."

"Hey I wasn't the only one. Dewey made him the first drink." "He 'made' him a drink?" "Uh..." She closed her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened them she glared down at him once more. Her voice was hard. "You let him drink liquor 'and' beer?" "Well...yeah." "God you are so stupid! No wonder he's sick! He 'doesn't' drink Ray! You sat there and probably kept handing him the stuff didn't you?" Ray was silent again. "You idiot! I trusted you to take care of him!" "Oh come on Frannie, he got drunk, now he's gonna have a hangover. He'll live." "That's not the point Ray. You got him tanked up at a hockey game!" Ray looked down at his plate. She saw the guilty look on his face again.

"You did take him to the game didn't you? You didn't take him to see strippers did you?" Ray remained silent. "You bastard!" Francesca reached out and slapped Ray on his head and then punched him on the shoulders and chest. "Francesca!" She stopped with her hand raised above her head and wheeled around to the doorway. "Ma, Ray got Benton drunk and took him to see strippers!" Mrs. Vecchio's eyes narrowed slightly and she looked pointedly at her son. "Is this true?" *Oh boy.* Ray hung his head down. "Yes Ma." "Go and get Benton up. I would like him to come down here please."

Francesca blinked in surprise and Ray's head snapped up. "You want me to bring Benny down here?" "But Ma, he's been sick all..." Mrs. Vecchio gave them both a disapproving look, effectively silencing their protests. "Yes Ma." Ray stood and walked cautiously past his mother. Francesca made a move to follow Ray. "Sit down Francesca." "But Ma!" "Sit!" She flopped in a chair, surprised at the tinge of anger in her mother's voice. Folding her hands, she watched her mother make herself a cup of tea and walk back to the table to sit. They silently waited for Ray to return. 

 

Ray walked up the stairs and into Francesca's bedroom. Maria glared at him as he walked in. Her voice was low and tight. "What do you want?" "Ma wants me to get Benny up and bring him downstairs." "What? You're joking." "No I'm not. She wants to see him." "Uh oh." "My thoughts exactly." He ran a hand nervously over his head. "Can you maybe go downstairs? Please." Maria stood and lightly ran her hand over Fraser's head. "Be easy on him O.K." "Don't worry, I will."

He looked down at Fraser's sleeping form and was loathe to wake him. He looked so peaceful. Nothing like the huddled figure crying in the bathroom earlier. A pang of regret ran through him. "Sorry Benny, but Ma wants to see you for some reason." Grabbing the comforter he pulled it back. Fraser didn't even move as the cool air hit him. "Figures. You're a freaking polar bear." Reaching out he pushed at Fraser's shoulder. "Benny. Get up." He grabbed him by the arm and pulled. The only thing that he accomplished by this action was Fraser sliding some across the bed. *Damn. He's not waking up.*

Smiling, Ray looked down at him. *Nah. I can't do that. It would be ignorant.* He pushed at Fraser again. He only shifted slightly and then curled into a fetal position. "Benny get up! Ma wants to see you!" Fraser slept on, oblivious to Ray's shouts. Shaking his head, Ray walked into the hall. "Tony! Can you come up here?! I need your help!" He heard Tony's voice from the den. "Hold on, I'll be up in a sec!" Francesca heard Ray yell and stood up, ready to run up to her room. "Sit down." "But Ma he's..." "Sit." She flopped back down, not pleased at all with the way things were going. *What in the hell is Ray doin to him?*

Tony made his way up the stairs and met Ray in the hall. "Yeah Ray?" "Can you help me get sleeping beauty out of bed and into the shower? Ma wants me to bring him downstairs." "Ma wants to see him? You're lyin." Ray sighed. "Why would I be up here and Frannie and Maria aren't here blocking the door telling me to go to hell? If you want to, go down to the kitchen and tell Ma, he's not coming down." Tony pushed past him and walked into the bedroom. "You grab his legs." "Yeah, I thought so."

They grunted as they picked Fraser up and carried him down the hall. "Jesus, Ray. For a thin guy he sure weighs alot." They lay him down in the tub. Tony sat on the toilet seat and smiled. "He's gonna freak on you." Ray grinned back at Tony. "Yeah I know. I kinda feel bad about doin this, but...he won't wake up." Reaching down, Ray turned the tub faucet on cold. "Sorry Benny." Clicking the handle for the shower he stepped back as the freezing cold water sprayed down on Fraser.

His eyes snapped open and he sat up. Instead of jumping out of the tub, he tucked forward, grabbing his head, ignoring the cold water as it beat down on his back. Ray stared at him, waiting for Fraser to jump up, but he never made a move to leave the tub. *Damn it!* Ray turned the water off, looking at the now shivering figure sitting in the tub. "You O.K. Benny?" His answer was Fraser throwing up. "Aw geez!" Tony grimaced and stood up. He looked in the tub. "That's nasty Ray. It's all over him." "Very funny! Can you go down and tell Ma it'll take a while. He's still sick." "Yeah, that's obvious." Tony frowned and look at Fraser and the throw up on and around him. "What in the hell did he eat last night anyway?" "Go!" Tony walked out of the room leaving Ray to take care of things. 

 

Ray turned the tub faucet on and cupped his hands under the water and tried to rinse as much of the vomit off of Fraser as he could. The huddled figure in the tub never moved the entire time he did it. "You done bein sick?" Fraser's weak nod of yes was the first coherent response he got from him all morning. "I'll be back in a minute. I'm gonna get you your clothes, then we'll clean you up. O.K.?" He received another nod of yes. "Good." He hurried out of the room and down the stairs, grabbing Fraser's clothes off of his boots in the foyer. Running back up the steps he found Fraser struggling to stand.

"Hold on!" He dropped the clothes on the toilet seat and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him up. He swayed unsteadily. "Think you can stand without falling?" Another nod yes. "Good. I'm gonna turn the water back on, only this time it'll be warm. You're gonna shower and then we'll get you dried off and dressed. Think you can handle that?" Fraser leaned against the shower wall and nodded yes again. "Good deal Benny. Here's a wash cloth. Strip down and get at it."

Ray pulled the shower curtain closed. "Can you get your underwear off?" "Yes." Ray chuckled. Fraser's voice was weak, but he heard the irritation in it. There was the movement of him taking off his boxers and then silence. "Do you want me to turn the water on Benny?" "Yes...please." Ray pulled the curtain back slightly and looked in at Fraser as he reached for the faucet knobs. He was leaning against the tile wall again breathing heavily. "You gonna puke again?" He got a slight nod of yes. "Oh boy."

Ray hurried and turned the water on and pulled the curtain shut. The sounds of Fraser vomiting again filled the bathroom. *Crap.* The water ran for another few minutes without Ray hearing any more sounds of Fraser being sick. But he didn't hear him showering either. "You O.K. in there?" "Yes." "Well get moving then. Ma wants to see you downstairs." "Ma?" Ray grinned at the slight note of panic in Fraser's voice. "Oh yeah. She sent me up here to get you out of bed and take you downstairs to talk to her."

It didn't take too long before the water stopped and the shower curtain yanked back. Fraser held out his hand for a towel. "I guess having a hangover makes you forget all about modesty huh?" Fraser snatched the towel from Ray's outstretched hand and wrapped it around his waist. Using the wall for support, he unsteadily got out of the tub. Ray reached out to help him, but Fraser waved him off, an irritated scowl on his face.

Once he was out of the tub, he looked at himself in the mirror over the sink and grimaced. Ray laughed. "Yeah you're lovely." Fraser turned and glared at Ray. "Oh and you're cranky too!" "Turn around." "Why? I've already seen everything." Fraser closed his eyes. "Please." Grinning, Ray turned his back to him, listening to the sound of Fraser drying off. When he heard the zipper of his jeans going up, he turned back around. He smiled at him. "You're a pig Benny."

Fraser looked blankly at Ray who then pointed at a hickey on his shoulder. Fraser tucked his head down to look at the mark and touched it with his fingertips, his brow knitting in confusion. Ray smiled again. "You don't remember do you?" Fraser looked back at him, the question in his eyes. Ray's smile widened. *I can't. Ah...what the hell! Just this once.* After the game we went to a strip bar. We were gonna pay this one stripper to...well...mess around with you. One last fling before you got married. She did it for free Benny! Said you were the best lay she ever had."

Ray's teasing smile faded as Fraser backed away from him in a panic, his back hit the door and he slid down to the floor. His eyes glazed over and then he whispered "No" before he bent forward and started crying. *Oh shit!* "Benny!" *Aw fuck!* "Benny! I'm joking! It's a joke! Frannie did that to you!" He knelt down by Fraser and grabbed him by the arm shaking him. "I was joking!" Before Ray could react, Fraser grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the floor, yelling at him. "Son of a bitch!" Ray had never thought that he would see the day when Fraser would ever curse at him or hit him, but as he saw Fraser's fist cocked back ready to strike, he closed his eyes waiting for the pain. It never came. Fraser pushed away from him and scrambled for the toilet where he promptly threw up.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Ray rubbed at his throat. He was sure there would be bruises left, Fraser's grip had been so strong. His voice was slightly raspy as he spoke. "I'm sorry Benny. I was only joking. You didn't do anything with a stripper." They sat in there respective spots on the bathroom floor for a few minutes. Fraser finally reached over on the floor for his shirt and pulled it on before pushing himself up. "Benny?" He ignored Ray as he rinsed his mouth out and splashed water on his face. Toweling off, he finger combed his hair and walked past Ray into the hall. Ray jumped up and ran after him, watching him clutch the railing as he went down the stairs. He movements were slow and unsteady, but Ray knew better than to touch him at this moment. He followed him silently down to the kitchen. 

 

Francesca looked up as Fraser entered the kitchen. His face was pale, his cheeks flushed and he looked as if he had been crying again. She had heard some shouting upstairs, but Ma had made her stay put. He came around the table and sat next to her, his hand grabbing hers under the table. He was shaking slightly and he kept his head down. She looked at Ray. *He did something, I know it! He looks guilty as sin!* Ray pulled out a chair and sat across from them. He knew he was in deep trouble when his mother looked Fraser over and then turned and gave him a nasty look.

"Raymondo. You took Benton to see strippers?" "Yes Ma." She looked back at Fraser. "Benton. You drank?" Fraser raised his head to look her directly in the eye. "Yes Ma." "Why did you drink? You don't drink." "He opened his mouth to speak, but Francesca cut him off. "That's my fault Ma." "How could it be your fault? Did you make him drink?" "No, but I said he should have at least one so the guys would leave him alone." Mrs. Vecchio nodded her head slightly and looked back at Fraser. "How many drinks did you have?"

Fraser closed his eyes trying to think. He remembered Dewey making him the one drink. It had been a mixed one in a very large glass. After that...everything was a blur. "I don't remember." "You had more than one?" "I would assume that I did." He squinted as he spoke and swallowed hard. His head pounded and his eyes felt gritty. He could feel a wave of nausea wash over him. *Do not vomit. Do not vomit.* Mrs. Vecchio looked at him in concern before she turned her piercing gaze back to Ray.

"How many drinks did Benton have?" Ray looked guiltily at the table top, his hands twisting nervously in his lap. "I can't remember. I kinda lost count." Francesca gritted her teeth. "You ignorant ass..." Fraser cut her off, his voice sounding defeated. "Francesca please." He squeezed her hand as he looked at Mrs. Vecchio. "I'm sorry Ma. I apologize for upsetting everyone." He took a deep breath. "It will never happen again." Mrs. Vecchio stared at him, her expression growing slightly soft. She nodded her head in agreement. "I know you won't do this again. You are a good son."

Mrs. Vecchio's eyes bored into Ray's. "Benton is your brother. You should protect him. Why did you do this?" Ray stammered as he spoke. His mother hadn't talked to him like this since he was in high school. "It's...well...Ma it was a bachelor party. That's what you do at them." She glared at Ray and angrily gestured with her hands. "So taking your brother out to see naked woman and having him drink until he is sick...that is a party?!" "Uh...yeah Ma...that's what it's supposed to be." She stared at him, her voice growing hard. "Then you will never take Benton to a 'party' again. Do you understand me?" He swallowed nervously. All Ray wanted to do was crawl in a hole and cover himself up. "Yes Ma." "Benton." "Yes Ma?" Fraser looked like a frightened rabbit. Her voice softened when she spoke to him. "Go back to bed. Francesca you will help him. Raymondo, you will go to his home and bring back clean clothing for him." "Yes Ma." Mrs. Vecchio stood up and walked out of the kitchen, leaving three stunned figures sitting at the table. 

 

Ray breathed a sigh of relief after Mrs. Vecchio left the kitchen. "Man, I thought she was gonna say you two couldn't get married." Francesca rolled her eyes. "Oh please." She squeezed Fraser's hand under the table. "Let's get you back in bed." He rested his head against her shoulder and sighed. "You're not a very good drunk." "I'm sorry Francesca." "I know you are." She smiled and pushed his head gently up and gave him a kiss on his cheek. She was rewarded with a slight smile from him. As they both stood, Ray moved to help him, but Fraser's glare stopped Ray dead in his tracks.

"Benny, I said I was sorry." Francesca's eyes narrowed. *I knew it!* "What did you do to him Ray?" "Nothin Frannie." Without turning her angry glare from Ray she questioned Fraser. "Benton, what did he do to you?" Fraser hesitated and then answered her in a quiet voice. "He didn't do anything." She sighed. "What did he 'say' to you?" Fraser looked at Ray and then put his head down. "Ray what did you say to him?" "I was only teasing him Frannie." She stared back at him tapping her fingers against her thigh. Ray could see they wouldn't be leaving the room until he told her what happened.

Bracing himself for her reaction he spit out the answer. "I told him we had a stripper have sex with him." Her eyes widened in shock and she yanked her hand out of Fraser's grasp and moved towards Ray. He in turn ran around to the opposite side of the table to avoid her. "I was joking with him Frannie! He has a hickey and I said the stripper gave it to him. I mean, I know it was from you and you know you did it, but Benny didn't. It was only a joke!" Her eyes blazed and her voice was low and tight. "You are sick! That isn't funny!" "I kinda figured that out by the way he reacted." Francesca turned to look at Fraser who was eying her uncomfortably. She knew this entire bachelor party was something he would regret for a long time.

"Benton what did you do?" Fraser's face turned red and he look down at the floor. Ray sighed. "He freaked out. Then he grabbed me by the throat. I thought he was gonna pop me one, but he had to stop and throw up." Francesca stared at Fraser in amazement. He could feel her eyes on him as he shifted nervously from foot to foot. "You were gonna hit Ray?" "Yes." He didn't look up at her. He didn't know if he could take the look of disappointment that he knew he would find. But to his surprise she walked over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." Letting him go, she grabbed his hand and pulled him past Ray. "Don't forget to get Benton's clothes."

As they left the kitchen and slowly walked up the steps, she smiled. Fraser was going to punch out Ray. All because he thought he had done something with one of the strippers. She knew that her ex-husband the Pig had done all sorts of things at his bachelor party. The rumors and stories that had gone around the neighbor should have sent her a warning, but she had been blind back then. It was a man's right to do what he wanted. *Bullshit!* She knew that Fraser would never do anything to bring shame to her or their house. 

 

As they walked towards the bedroom Fraser let go of Francesca's hand and headed for the bathroom. "You're not gonna get sick again are you?" He sighed. Not every trip near a toilet today would be for throwing up. "No Francesca, I need to use the bathroom." She smirked at him. "Ya know you can say you have to piss Benton. It won't kill you. Or pee. You said that once. But that was when you were pissed." She chuckled at her own joke. Shaking his head he turned from her and walked to the bathroom and shut the door. She went into the bedroom, mumbling under her breath. "Boy is he cranky."

As Fraser brushed his teeth he tried to not gag. The taste of the toothpaste alone was making him sick. He hurriedly rinsed his mouth and spit several times, trying not to vomit. Leaning against the sink he rested his forehead against the mirror. Closing his eyes he tried to remember the previous nights activities. Images blurred and danced in his head. Flashes of the game, he and Turnbull...on the floor...wrestling? Him with his shirt off somewhere...surrounded by women. *Dear Lord.* There was also the image of Francesca flushed and naked in the stairway. *No! We did not!*

Raising his head to look at himself he made a disgusted face. *Why didn't you just follow your instincts? Why did you have to be so stupid?! You should have never had a single drink!* Pushing away from the sink he went to the bathroom and then went back to the sink again to wash his hands. His mouth felt like there was cotton in it. Filling a cup up with water he took a few cautious sips and immediately felt his stomach begin to churn. Dumping the rest of the water down the drain he tried to gain control of himself. He wasn't use to being sick. *This is ridiculous.*

Moving slowly down the hall he walked into the bedroom to find Francesca already undressed and in bed. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Oh don't be stupid, I'm just gonna make sure you're O.K. Besides, I'm still kinda tired. I did stay up half the night ya know." "I'm sorry." "Yeah I know you are. You're like a broken record. I'm sorry. Just get undressed and get in bed." "Francesca...did we...I mean...did I...I have a memory. Of us. In the...stairway?" She smiled up at him. "Get in bed first and I'll tell you."

He closed the door and stripped his clothes off, sliding into the bed next to her. He felt her own naked body against his. He was aware that she was talking, but all he could think of was the feel of her smooth, hot skin against his own. She realized that Fraser wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "Benton Fraser...I'm talking to you!" "Um hum." He nuzzled his face in her hair and sighed. "Do you want to know what we did?" "Hum?" He could feel himself relaxing, the slight scent of strawberries comforted him. "We had sex in the stairway and we didn't use a condom."

She smiled into his shoulder as she felt his body stiffen against her. "Oh now you're paying attention aren't you?" He pulled back from her slightly, his face a mixture of disbelief and shock. "We did it in the stairway? I wasn't dreaming?" Francesca giggled and poked him lightly in the chest. "No you silly. We did it, but I kind of forgot about the Lucky 13." She bit her lip waiting for his reaction. "Oh dear." He didn't yell at her. *He's not mad?* She grinned at him. "And Benton..." She kissed his neck and whispered in his ear, softly stroking her hand low across his stomach. "No sex for two weeks."

Taking her hand off of him, she watched as he closed his eyes. Fraser rolled away from her. *Uh oh. He is mad.* "Benton...is there something wrong?" His short laugh was humorless. "Yes there's something wrong. I feel sick, I have embarrassed myself repeatedly in the past twenty-four hours and we had unprotected sex...in the stairway of all places. What could possibly be wrong Francesca?" His voice was sarcastic and irritable. *Oh boy.* She tucked against his back and rubbed his shoulder gently. He moved away from her and she scooted up against him again. "Don't be mad. You could still be puking your guts up. Or Ma could have thrown you out of the house. I don't see what you're getting so upset for."

Fraser sighed. "I wanted our wedding night to be special Francesca. Something we could both experience together. Now through my stupidity, I've ruined it." "Nothings been ruined. You don't remember anything do you?" "No." "Well...it'll be new to you. And as for me...I can't wait to do it again like that. I don't care what you say, there is a big difference in the way it felt. It was really good." "Very funny." Oh come on. Just relax!" "I'm trying to." She hugged him and ran her hand down his chest. He pulled away from her in a panic when she brushed her hand over his penis. "You are amazing! How in the hell can you even think about doing anything with the way you feel?" She reached around to touch him again. He was slightly hardened and it appeared that he was growing harder as she struggled to grasp him. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. Francesca please stop." She pulled her hand away from him and rested it on his hip. Breathing against his neck she licked him, her voice was low and sultry. "Do you want me to take care of it?" She could sense Fraser's indecision, but his response surprised her.

"Thank you kindly, but no. It will go away." "No?!" "Two weeks Francesca. We made an agreement and I will stand by it. Good night." "You mean good afternoon." He sighed and pressed his hand against himself, willing the ache in his groin to go away. It was going to be a long two weeks. He couldn't even control himself around her when he was sick. "It is 'not' good Francesca." She snickered. "Ya know what? You're awfully cute when you're cranky. Are you sure you don't want a blow job? I know how much you love them and you wouldn't have to do anything."

He rolled over to face her, his expression irritated. *Uh oh.* Before she could react he pinned her beneath him, capturing her lips with his own, he pressed against her until she opened her mouth to him. Sucking insistently at her tongue, he pushed against her, then wedging a leg between hers he pressed himself against her, hearing her soft moan in his mouth. As she began to bring her legs around his waist, he pulled away from her, watching as she tried to catch her breath. Pushing away, he rolled back onto his side again. Her heavy breathing was the only sound in the room until she spoke to him.

"Why are you stopping?!" He laughed softly trying to ignore the aching in his head and groin. He was feeling nauseous again. "You know you're awfully cute when you're all worked up and can't do anything about it." "What?! You son of a bitch!" She reached over and slapped him hard on the head. Fraser clutched his head and groaned, choking back the bile rising in his throat. "You can't leave me like this!" He forced out a reply. "Two weeks Francesca." "No! No way in hell am I waiting two weeks!" Reaching around him, she grabbed his erection and pulled at him as she wrapped her leg around his hip. "Just once more Benton. I know you want to."

Francesca...please...let go of me. I'm going to be sick." "No! You're faking it!" She felt his hand cover hers, but instead of him pressing her hand to him, he grasped her fingers roughly and flung her hand off. Shoving away from her, he rolled off the bed and grabbed the wastebasket and promptly threw up. *Oops!* She lay in bed and cringed as she heard the sounds of his retching. *Oh boy. The dry heaves are here.* Crawling to the edge of the bed, she bit her lip as she looked at Fraser crouched on the floor, clutching the wastebasket.

"Um...sorry. I thought you were faking it." She slid off the bed and knelt next to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You're a mess, you know that don't you?" He drew a ragged breath. "Yes." "Are you gonna be O.K.?" He nodded his head yes. "Good. I'll be back in a minute." She stood up and pulled her robe on and left the room. In a less than a minute she was back carrying two glasses with her. One glass had water and the other glass was a fizzing drink.

She held the glass of water out to Fraser. "Here. Rinse your mouth out." He took the cup and once he was done he handed it back to her. "Thank you." "Now drink this." He took the glass from Francesca and looked at it apprehensively. "What is this?" "Alka seltzer. Drink it. It'll make you feel better." "If Ray would go to my house and get some herbs for me..." "Benton...drink it." Bringing the glass up to his face, he sniff the contents. "Francesca..." "Drink it!"

He took a sip and made a face. "I can't drink this. It will make me sick." "You are such a baby! Drink it!" Taking a deep breath, Fraser drained the glass and quickly handed it back to her. He sat perfectly still on the floor. "Francesca smiled triumphantly. "See. All you had to do is try it. You're not always..." Fraser grabbed the wastebasket in a panic and threw up. "...right." Frowning, she turned to leave the room. "I'm' gonna go and get Ray."

A few minutes later she was back, She pushed Ray into the room. "Damn it Frannie! I don't want to see him barfing!" Ray looked in the room. Fraser had managed to drag himself back in bed and had pulled the comforter up around his neck. His miserable face peered back at Ray. "Uh...hi Benny. What do you need?" Fraser rattled off a few herbs and told Ray where to find them. Ray frowned. "You're gonna make a drink with that crap? And it'll make you feel better?" Fraser closed his eyes and swallowed. "Hopefully." "If you say so. It's sounds nasty."

Ray left and Francesca took her robe off and climbed back in bed and tucked against Fraser. "Are you O.K.?" He sounded frustrated. "No. I'm tired of being ill." "You're not 'ill', you have a hangover." "There's a difference?" "Yes there's a big difference. If you ever get the flu you'll know what I mean." "I've never had the flu." "Then count yourself lucky. I get it every year." "Oh."

She softly rubbed his chest, listening to his breathing. In a few short minutes, Fraser was out. She envied his ability to fall asleep so easily. *Even when he's sick he does it.* She lay awake thinking about their wedding. *Two weeks and Frannie Vecchio will be no more. Hello Frannie Fraser!* She snickered softly to herself and rested her head on his shoulder.

*I need to see what he has in the line of summer clothing. Does he even have any shorts?* She peeked at Fraser's face and then lifted the comforter, looking at his legs. *I don't even think I've ever seen him 'in' shorts!* With a sigh she closed her eyes. *I might as well try and get some rest. Who knows if he'll be feeling better later.* And with the thoughts of her wedding plans rambling though her mind, she went to sleep. 

 

Francesca yawned and stretched. Looking next to her, she saw Fraser was sleeping peacefully. She debated trying to go back to sleep herself, but she had already wasted half the day in bed. She wasn't the one who was sick. Getting out of bed, she quickly dressed in a pair of old faded jeans and a sweat shirt. Sniffing she smelled something. *God what is that smell?* Looking around she spotted the waste basket. Frowning she reached down and grabbed it. Peeking inside the wastebasket she gagged. *Ewwww!* Rushing out of the room she wrapped the trash bag in another one and dumped it in trash under the sink. Once she had a new liner in the waste basket she went back to her room.

Fraser was on his back, the covers partially kicked off of him. Resting her hand on his forehead she was satisfied to find he was cool. Shaking her head, she snorted. *He's not sick you idiot, he has a hangover.* Pulling the comforter back up, she tucked it around him. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she left the room, closing the door on her way out. As she made her way down the stairs, she could hear laughter in the kitchen. Maria and Ray were helping Ma prepare dinner. The moment she walked into the room, they stopped laughing. Maria snickered when Francesca looked at her. "What? What did I do now?" Ray mumbled under his breath. "What didn't you do."

Francesca walked over to Ray and poked him sharply in the arm. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Ray smiled at her. "Well...let's just say the magic word for the day is...stairs." Francesca glanced at her mother. She was ignoring them all as usual. "O.K. Then let's make the other magic words be...you're in deep trouble." "Aw come on Frannie! I said I'm sorry. How many times do I have to apologize? He's doing fine now. I promised Ma I would never do something like that ever again and Benny promised too. Can't you just forget about it?"

She crossed her arms. "No. You took him to see strippers Ray. You know how I feel about that. You remember assho..." She looked at her mother again. Yup, she was set on ignore. "The Pig use to always go to see the strippers. How do you think that made me feel? Huh? You didn't even think about that did you?" Ray hung his head down. "No I didn't." Taking a deep breath he looked back at her. "Don't you think it's time to move on Frannie?" "Huh?" "Look...you've been divorce how many years? And you still have to bring that jerk up. You're gettin married in a couple of weeks. You have a new life. Can't you stop harping about the past?"

"Oh, so I'm harping am I? You didn't have Angie cheating on you. You didn't have her hit..." She caught herself and shut up. Turning away from Ray, she went to one of the drawers and began getting the silverware out. "I thought he use to hit you, but you would never admit it." Francesca slammed the drawer shut. "What good would it have done to tell everyone? I told Ma for the annulment. She's the only one who needed to know." Maria shook her head no. "You should have told us Frannie." "And what good would that have done? I was married to him. I thought that maybe he would change. Maybe it was all my fault that he hit me. I didn't know...he was doing other stuff."

Maria sighed. "How bad did he hit you?" "Bad enough." Ray came up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "How bad Frannie?" "Like you said Ray...it's in the past." She tried to move past him, but he held her in place. "How bad." His voice was getting tight. "Do you remember when I was 'sick' for two weeks? When I wouldn't go anywhere or see any of you?" "Yeah." "He...he hit me so much that time. I think if I went to the hospital, they'd probably find my ribs were broken. I just didn't want to go through all of the crap Ray. If I went to the doctor, all of you would have known. Then I'd have to go to the station and file a report. Do you know how embarrassing it would have been?"

She pushed past Ray and tried to leave the kitchen, only to run into Fraser. "Oof!" She stumbled back and Fraser grabbed her as the silverware flew out of her hands and onto the floor. She dropped her eyes from his, blinking back her tears. *When did he get up?* "Francesca?" He knelt next to her and helped pick up the silverware. Ray and Maria held their breath. They didn't know how much Fraser had heard of their conversation. And they were very aware of his excellent hearing.

"How do you feel Benton?" Her voice was slightly shaky as she tried to cover up her embarrassment. "I'm fine. How do 'you' feel?" "Me? There's nothing wrong with me." She grabbed the silverware from his hands and walked back to the sink and dumped them all in to wash them. Fraser gave Ray and Maria questioning looks as he walked past them, but they both dropped their faces down. Neither one of them wanted to say anything more about the subject. He picked up a towel and dried each piece as she washed them off. *Don't look at him. If you ignore him, he won't ask."

"Francesca." Fraser's voice was almost a whisper. She glanced up at him, seeing the worry in his eyes. "Please...don't ask." He stared at her and then slowly nodded his head yes. She let out the breath she had been holding. He wasn't going to pressure her for answers. She gave him a weak smile. "I guess you're feeling better?" "Yes...much better than this morning." He gave her a small smile. "Thank you for taking care of me." He moved to her and kissed the top of her head. "I would say anytime, but you're not gonna get sick again." She smiled a genuine smile. "At least like that." He tucked his head down slightly. "No. I won't ever do that again."

Fraser put the towel down and spoke to Ray. "I don't mean to be a bother, but did you go and get the herbs that I requested?" "Yeah Benny. In the bag on the counter. Right behind you." He turned and opened the bad and began taking the small packets out and set them on the counter. "Ma, may I use the tea kettle?" Mrs. Vecchio smiled at him. "Benton, you do not need to ask to use things. This is your home." He smiled shyly at her. "Thank you." Fraser filled the tea kettle and set it on the burner. Taking a large coffee mug out of one of the cabinets, he began to put some of the herbs in it. A pinch of this, a pinch of that. Francesca stood next to him as he did it.

"How do you feel? Really." Fraser frowned. "Other than my stomach feeling as if it's on a rocking boat and my head is the parade grounds for the Musical Ride? I feel fine." Francesca smiled. "That bad huh?" Fraser smiled back at her and then closed his eyes, swallowing hard. She lowered her voice. "You're not gonna...you know...puke." He sighed. "I am trying to not do that any more." "Maybe you should go and lay down. I can bring this up to you when it's ready." "Thank you, but no. I'm not tired. I don't want to go back to bed. I will be fine." He pouted at her, his lower lip sticking out slightly.

She leaned into him. "Do you know, you're really cute when you pout." "I am 'not' pouting." She smiled at him and them stuck her lower lip out exactly like he had done. "Then what do you call this face?" Fraser tucked his head down trying not to smile. "That is a pout." "And that's what you were doing. You pout Benton. And you do it very well." She hugged him, feeling his arms go around her and hug her back. They pulled apart as the tea kettle began to whistle. She sighed. "Even the tea kettle won't leave us alone."

Fraser poured the steaming water into the mug and they walked over to the table. Sitting down he watched Ray cut vegetables. "I'll help you as soon as I'm done my tea." "Nah, don't bother. We're almost done anyway. Just sit and relax for a while." "That's all I've done all day." "No...you puked all morning. You slept all afternoon." "Very funny Ray." He gingerly sipped the tea. Each swallow made his stomach churn, but he knew if he could drink the entire mug, he would feel better sooner than later.

He had learned of this drink years ago, in an Inuit village, after a rather large celebration. He had observed several woman making it for their spouses. He had inquired about what was in the drink and they showed him. It was that simple with the people back home. Ask and you were told. No hemming and hawing or dancing around the subject. Here in Chicago almost all of his questions had to be veiled. If he said the wrong thing, someone would be offended or hurt. Life was a game with the city people. Life was life back home. Sighing he watched Francesca help Ray finish the vegetables. He knew he had a lot of questions to ask Francesca. How he was going to ask them, he didn't know. 

 

After cutting a few vegetables Francesca went back to the sink and grabbed the silverware out of the drainer. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She walked out of the kitchen. Fraser sat for a few seconds looking at the doorway. He stood and left the room, obviously following her. Maria gave Ray a cautious look. "Do you think he heard us?" "Yeah, I would bet money on it. When Frannie starts yellin at him we'll know for sure." "She needs to stop doing that." "Doin what?" "Yelling at him. He's not use to it." Ray snickered. "Wanna bet? He gets yelled at work, on the street, everywhere. Benny can be...exasperating." "Meg yells at him a lot?" "Well...yeah." Maria's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Ray stared at his sister. He knew she liked Fraser a lot, but she was getting awfully defensive and protective of him lately. "What's it to you?" "He's family Ray and you don't let family get treated like shit." "She doesn't treat him like shit, she...she..." Maria frowned and angrily peeled a carrot. "Thatcher treats Benton like shit and you just stand by and watch it. That's really nice Ray." She glared at him. "Do you even like Benton or are you just using him?" Ray looked at Maria thoroughly confused.

"I use him? How in the hell do I use him?" "Like Frannie said before, you like having him help you out all the time. When's the last time you took him out to do something fun. And I'm not talking about that stupid bachelor party last night." She steadily peeled a carrot waiting for Ray's answer. "Well...I...we haven't been out in a while." "Uh huh. You haven't been anywhere in over a year. You use him Ray. If he wasn't so good at doing detective stuff, would you even bother with him? Be truthful. Would you be friends with him if he was a real stu-nod like Dewey?" "Aw come on! You know that's not why I'm friends with Benny." "Then tell me why you are."

"Well..." Ray smiled. "...he makes me laugh. I mean I've been on a few stake outs where I was bored to death and then he'll just start takin about some off the wall shit and I'll want to bust out laughing. Some of the stuff he pulls out of that head of his is pretty funny." "You laugh or you want to laugh." "Huh?" "Do you actually start laughing?" "Not all the time. Most of the time I try not to. I don't want to get him started. Once he gets talkin it's kinda hard to shut him up." "Oh. That's nice. He hardly ever talks to begin with and when he does talk you tell him to shut up." "If I don't tell him to shut up Maria, he never does." "O.K." Ray could see she was getting angrier. *I ain't gonna win this, I can see it now.*

"What else do you like about him?" "Benny's always willing to help people. He's smart. I know when I'm with him I don't have to try and impress him or anything. He doesn't really expect anything from me. Maybe the occasional loan or two though." Ray chuckled. Fraser was always borrowing money from him, but he never forgot to pay him back. If he didn't, he would have put a stop to loaning the Mountie any cash at all. "So you like Benton because he's easy going, he's always nice and he's always there for you. What do you do for him?" "Maria...what is with you askin all of this?" "Just humor me."

Ray exhaled. *What do I do for him?* "I don't know. I mean we just hang out, we go on stake outs, we eat lunches together. He's been over here a million times before he even dated Frannie. I just like him. Is there anything wrong with that? Do I have to have a reason for being friends with him?" "No. But I'm right. You're using him Ray. You may not think so, but you are. You use him to help you at work and at home. He's always there for you because he has nothing else in his life. You call and he comes just like a nice lap dog." Ray could feel the anger growing inside him.

"You know you're out of line! I don't treat Benny like he's a dog. Damn it, I've put my life on the line for him! I mortgaged this damn house before to keep his sorry ass out of jail. You have no idea what 'I've' done for him. You need to butt out and drop it." "Oh I know what you've done for him Ray. I know a lot more about what went on with you, him and Victoria than you probably want me to know." "What's that mean?" "Little kids have very big ears Ray. Teresa hears a lot and tells it to me. She heard you talking to Benton about Victoria. Thank God she didn't understand half of it." "What exactly do you know?" "I know he was going to leave with her. That's all I need to know. It tells me everything about him."

Ray gritted his teeth. "You don't know shit. You have no idea what she put him through." "Yes I do know. And even after all of it he still wanted her. It's called being alone Ray. It's called not wanting to go though life unloved. Benton was going to throw his life away on some bitch all because he needed someone to love him. Maybe if you would have been a real friend, he wouldn't have wanted to go with her. Maybe if you hadn't kept him and Frannie apart before, he would have never even bothered with her." "Ya know you need to knock it off. I think you're letting your crush on Benny go a little too far." Maria's face snapped up.

Ray smiled without humor. "You think I don't see it? Huh? You're worse than Frannie sometimes. He's your sisters fiancee and you sit there staring at him like he's some kinda poster boy. That's pretty sick." Maria smiled at Ray which took him completely off guard. She shrugged her shoulders and snickered. "Frannie knows what I think Ray. So Benton's nice to look at. Big deal. I look at him and that's it. He's the best thing that's ever happened to Frannie. And she's the best thing that's ever happened to him. They're going to be happy together Ray. He'll never hit her, he won't yell at her. He loves her. So what's your point?"

Ray's mouth opened and then he shut it. "The point is Ray, you were trying to change the subject. You wanted to make me feel guilty. Circle false. Now let's get back to what we were talking about. Why do you consider Benton your friend? Other than you needing him to help you at work. I mean he has helped you. A lot. If it wasn't for him, I think you'd be back walking the street in a uniform." "You bitch!" "Be honest with yourself Ray! Before he came along you were almost at rock bottom. One more slip up at work and Welsh would have thrown you back out on the street." "What is with you!" "Nothing. But I think you need to look at what you have Ray. You need to appreciate who he is, not what he can do for you." She smirked at him as she walked over to the sink to rinse off her peeled carrots.

Ray stood at the table staring at the knife in his hand. Looking at his sister's back he was almost tempted to throw it at her. She always knew how to push his buttons. One word here or there and Maria could get to him. *Do I really take him for granted? Do I use him?* Placing the knife down on the table, he toweled his hands off. He needed to talk to Fraser. He wanted to know if he felt like he was being used. Throwing a glare at Maria's back he walked out of the kitchen. The moment he left the room Mrs. Vecchio spoke to Maria.

"That was not very nice Maria." She lifted her head up from the sink and smiled at her mother. "Ma...Ray isn't a nice guy. I mean I love him. He's my brother. But lets face it...he's not Mr. Popularity for a reason. He needs to know just how good he has it, having Benton as his friend. What he did last night was uncalled for. I'm kind of getting in some paybacks for Benton. You know he won't ever do anything to Ray for what he did. He blames himself for getting like that." Mrs. Vecchio smiled. "Benton is a man. He didn't have to drink." Maria laughed softly as she shook her head. "Ma...Benton may be a man, but come on...admit it...he's still a little boy too." Mrs. Vecchio smiled and nodded her head yes. "Yes, I know this. That is why he's so easy to love." "I know. You just want to run up and hug him. But he'd only get embarrassed." The two women smiled at each other nodding their heads in agreement. 

 

Francesca put the silverware down on the table and then picked up all of the forks. She wasn't surprised when Fraser entered the room and silently took the knives and followed her as she put the forks in their places. She could feel herself growing tense, waiting for him to start. She knew he would try and talk to her about what he had heard. "Francesca..." She turned to him and pointed a a fork at him, giving him a tired look. "Benton please...I don't want to talk about it."

He cocked his head to the side. "Didn't you tell me that if I were to talk about things, I would feel better about them?" She sighed. *Mister Reverse psychology strikes again.* "I know what I said. This is different. Besides I feel fine. I don't have any problems with him. We're divorce and he's still an ass." Pushing past him , she grabbed the spoons and set them on the table. "The only people who have problems with it are you and Ray. Just forget about it. I mean it's not like I can do anything about it now. What do you want me to do? Have you go and knock on his door and beat him up?"

She heard silence and when she looked up at Fraser, he was smiling slightly. "If it would help, I would do it." She stared back at him in amazement. "You would, wouldn't you?" He answered her without hesitation. "Yes." He was telling her the truth. A few months ago she would have been shocked to hear something like this from him, but now...she started laughing. "No, I don't want you to do that. I could care less about the pig." "If you could care less about him, then you would call him by his proper name. Labeling Gino as 'the pig' shows that you still have issues concerning him."

She picked up a napkin and refolded it. *Why does he have to do this? Why can't he let things drop? He always has to be right.* Not bothering to hide her irritation, she snapped at him. "So I have issues still. Who cares?" His smile faded. "I care." "Benton, no matter what, I'm always going to hate him. I can look at myself now and know that none of it was my fault. It was all his. I don't need to go and make my peace with him. Ray's right, I just need to move on." "But if you..." "Enough! Just drop it! I don't want talk about it!"

Her voice was loud causing him to take a step back. When Francesca chose to be nasty to him, she did a good job of it. Staring back at her, he felt his chest tightening. She had insisted that he open up to her, but when he asked the same from her in return she cut him off. Masking his hurt feelings, Fraser kept his face and voice emotionless. "Fine. I won't discuss this with you again." Turning away from her, he walked out of the diningroom and into Ray. Ray almost fell before Fraser grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back up. "Whoa Benny! Where's the fire?" "Fire?" "What's the hurry?" "I'm not hurrying Ray, I didn't see you." He brushed past Ray and walked back towards the kitchen. *Oh boy, here we go again.* Ray walked into the diningroom and ran into Francesca as she came out. "Man, what is it with you two? Don't you guys look where you're going?" "Whatever." She pushed past him and went to the kitchen. He could see by her posture that she was pissed. *What did she do to him now?* With a resigned sigh Ray followed them.

He came back into the kitchen and found Fraser getting all of the plates out. *Well he's not running home. It can't be all that bad.* Francesca was digging through the refrigerator for something. Ray walked over to cupboard near Fraser and grabbed the coffee cups. "Might as well help you." Without speaking to him, Fraser left the kitchen again. As they set the table Ray watched Fraser. His face was blank, but his movements were robotic. Whenever he stiffened up like that, it was a sure sign that he was miffed. "Benny...what did Frannie do to you this time?" He smiled without any humor. "And what makes you think Francesca 'did' something to me Ray?" "What else could it be? You're upset and you weren't until you two were in here. Besides. I heard her yell at you."

Fraser gave Ray a guilty look. "I'm sorry you had to hear us." "So what are you fighting about?" "Were not fighting Ray. We're just having a difference of opinions." Ray grinned. "That's called bickering." "We are not...she...I would prefer to keep this to ourselves thank you." "Maybe you should talk about it." "That's the problem." A light went off in Ray's head. "Oh...I get it. You wanted to talk to her about Gino and she won't tell you crap. Am I right?" "It's not my place to tell you." 'Your place? Where do you find all these excuses?" "I'm not making an excuse Ray. It's a private matter between Francesca and I." "Yeah and the rest of us too."

Fraser gave Ray a questioning look. "Gino was a piece of work Benny. He was arrogant, rude, lazy, you name it. But Frannie loved him. She put up with more crap than we'll ever know. And she won't tell us anything. It's like pullin teeth to get her to talk about him. So why bother with it? You're only gonna end up fighting with her. Why let him ruin what you two have together?" Fraser looked down at the plate before him, his face reflected in it surface. "Because if Francesca doesn't resolve these issues from her past, she won't be able move forward. She expects me to do this with my life, but she refuses to do it with herself."

Ray's eyes lit up. "Ooohhh...so that's it." "Excuse me?" "You're pissed at Frannie 'cause she won't tell you about her past. But she wants to know everything about your past." "I'm not 'pissed' Ray. I'm...aggravated." Ray smiled. "You're pissed. She's holding out on you and you can't stand it. The more I know about you, the more I see that you're just like the rest of us." "And how would you describe me compared to you?" "Oh don't let me get started on that!" He began laughing. "You're a mess Benny." Fraser raised an eyebrow at him. "In what way?" "You name it...you're a mess."

Ray felt a pang of guilt run through him as Fraser frowned slightly tucking his head down and moved to leave the room. He blocked his way out. "Look...I'm sorry. I didn't mean you're a mess, I meant...well..." "No Ray. You meant what you said." Ray sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Look...I know what I said and I didn't mean it." He paused and remembered what he had wanted to ask Fraser earlier. "Are you my friend?" Fraser blinked in surprise at Ray's comment, his expression confused by Ray's changing the subject so abruptly. "Yes. Do you need to ask?"

"Well...I was talkin to Maria about some stuff and...well...do you think I use you?" "You use me? In what way?" "You know. Do you mind that we don't go out to ball games all the time? Do you mind helping me at work or do you think I'm using you?" "Ah." "O.K. what's with the ah thing?" "Maria is making you feel guilty and now you're questioning me about it to relieve your guilt." Ray opened his mouth to deny Fraser's statement, but he quickly shut it. "Uh...yeah." Fraser's expression grew serious. "You are my friend Ray. Sometimes I believe I'm taking advantage of you, but you never question the things that I do. You just follow along with what I'm doing or saying. You help me without question. I thought that was what friendship was."

Ray smiled slightly. "So you don't think I use you? To do my job?" "Ray...when I offer you my services that is not being used. If you were to constantly demand that I help you, it would be different. I work with you because I enjoy doing it. I enjoy our time spent together. You're my friend." Ray smiled happily at Fraser. "Yeah, I thought so. Maria is full of it." Fraser smiled slightly. "No she is not Ray. She is a very intelligent woman who knows how to manipulate you." Ray's smile faded as he understood what Fraser was saying. "You mean she was teasing me?" "In a manner...yes." "Damn. She's good." "Then tell her that." "No way in hell am I gonna do that." "Why not?" "Because...she'll use it against me." Ray grinned evilly and slapped Fraser lightly on the shoulder. "Let's go back in the kitchen and I'll show you who's the smart one." "Ray..." Fraser tone was a warning one, but Ray didn't miss the smile in his eyes as he drug Fraser back towards the kitchen. 

 

Francesca looked up from the table where she and Maria were making a large salad. She saw the smirk on Ray's face as he entered the kitchen. When Fraser looked at her, he quickly avoided her gaze. She couldn't tell if he was still mad at her or not and she knew if she asked him if he was, he would only deny it. Nudging Maria, she whispered to her. "Ray looks like he's gonna start something." Maria glanced up at Ray and tucked her head back down and grinned. She whispered back to Francesca. "Watch and learn."

Maria looked up and smiled directly at Ray, watching him give her a wary look in return. "So Ray. Did you go and ask Benton if he felt used?" "What?" "Oh come on now. You know that's why you ran out of here." "I didn't 'run' anywhere." "My mistake. You didn't run, you walked out in a panic. I scared you didn't I?" "No." "Liar." Maria's smile grew bigger and Francesca snickered. Ray was beginning to look pissed and Fraser was looking embarrassed. *Yeah I'm right. He asked him.* Ray's voice rose a little. "I'm not lyin."

Maria calmly picked up a cucumber and began peeling the skin off. "Then what did you and Benton talk about?" "It's none of your business what we talked about." "Uh huh. You talked about how you use Benton to help you all the time at work. He's the only reason you got that promotion you know." "What?! What did you just say?!" Ray's face was now a bright red and he walked over to the table and stood next to Maria clinching his hands into tight fists.

Fraser looked at Ray's livid figure and Maria's calm smiling one. He let a small smile slip. "You're doing it again." Maria looked over at Fraser and grinned. "Yes I am, but he deserves it after what he did to you last night." Fraser shook his head and walked over to the cupboard to take the glasses out for dinner. Ray looked from Fraser who had turned his back to them, to Francesca who covered her mouth with her hand. Maria smirked at him when he finally looked at her. "I hate you." Francesca and Maria burst out laughing. He saw his mother over by the stove smiling and shaking her head. Looking back at Fraser he could see his shoulders shaking slightly.

"Benny, you had better not be laughing." His voice was slightly choked when he answered Ray. "I'm sorry." "You know you all think this is funny, but it's not! I'm not using him Maria. Benny even said I wasn't." "Oh so you admit you asked him. You're a liar Ray." "What did you expect me to do after what you said?" Maria began slicing the peeled cucumber. "You felt guilty Ray. Why do you feel guilty? Hum? I'll tell you why. Because you know what you did to him last night wasn't nice at all. He's your best friend. Actually if you think about it he's your only friend. You owe a lot of what you have now to that friendship so you need to quit taking it for granted."

Ray opened his mouth ready to yell at Maria when Fraser stepped between them, physically pushing Ray back from her. "I believe we need to stop arguing over this. Ray, you know Maria is only teasing you. And Maria, you know that Ray isn't using me." Maria smirked at Fraser. "Maybe it's not as bad as I made it out to be, but he does take advantage of you." Fraser sighed. He wanted it all to stop before it became a full fledged Vecchio family screaming match. He didn't know if his throbbing head could take any of that.

"No Ray does not take advantage of me. Our relationship is one built on trust and honesty. We both give and take from each other what we need. And I think sometimes we forget to say thank you or sorry to one another because we both take our friendship for granted sometimes. It's gotten to the point where we don't even ask for things from one another, we just expect them." Francesca mumbled under her breath. "Sounds like an old married couple to me." She could feel his stare and when she looked up at him, he looked dead serious. "Yes Francesca, I believe you have correctly labeled our relationship. Without total trust and openness a marriage is subject to failure. I don't have to always ask Ray to explain things to me. He just does it because it's the right thing to do."

"Wait a minute! We're talking about you and Ray!" "Yes I know we are. Who else do you think I'm referring to?" "I'm not gonna talk about it so you can just forget it." Maria shrugged her shoulders at Fraser. "You almost had her, but she's just like Ray. Stubborn as an ass." Francesca glared at Maria. "You know you need to butt out." "I will. But maybe you should listen to him Frannie. You're the one that pointed it out. And just like Ray, you feel guilty because you know he's right." "Let's just drop it. Dinners ready anyway." She grabbed the salad bowl and left the kitchen. Fraser sighed and went back to getting the glasses down. 

 

Everyone settled down at the dinner table. Maria still smiled smugly at Ray every time he looked her way. Fraser sat quietly next to Francesca, watching as she loaded her plate with rigatoni and extra sauce. As she passed the bowl to him, he turned his head slightly and quickly passed it down the table. Francesca gritted her teeth. *Here we go again with the no eating crap.* Leaning towards Fraser, she talked in a low voice to him.

"You better eat something Benton." He sighed and kept his voice low as well. "No thank you, I don't feel well." "Oh come on, you have to be starving." "Yes I am, but I feel it would be safer to just drink my tea." She grabbed a slice of bread out of the basket in front of her and stabbed a chunk of butter off of the butter dish. She quickly smoothed it over the bread and slapped it onto Fraser's empty plate. "Eat this."

He looked down at the bread smothered in butter. The bread he may have been able to choke down, but looking at the slick, gleaming yellow butter slathering on it...he stifled a gag. Francesca closed her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened them, she saw that Fraser had taken his napkin and covered the bread up. Her voice was cutting and loud drawing stares from the rest of the family. "You are such a baby!"

She saw Fraser cringe slightly, his face growing slightly pink, but he didn't answer her. He sat quietly with one hand tightly wrapped around his mug of tea and his other hand clenched into a fist in his lap. She returned Ray's questioning gaze with a glare and he shook his head in disapproval. She and Fraser sat quietly next to one another for the remainder of the meal, neither one speaking to the other.

Francesca made sure that she passed food by Fraser several times during that silence. She felt a touch of satisfaction in watching him turn pale each time she mixed her food on her plate. When she stirred gravy in with her pasta and then mashed her peas into the mixture she was rewarded with Fraser closing his eyes, trying to control his breathing. She knew he was on the edge of jumping up from the table to go vomit.

By the time dinner was almost over, she regretted it all. In trying to irritate Fraser, she had stuffed herself until she was bloated and sick. Before anyone could ask her to clear the table, she rushed out of the diningroom. Ray watched as Fraser stared at her retreating figure. His expression was sad. He looked at his plate with the napkin still covering the bread that she had basically thrown at him. With a resigned sigh he stood and began to gather up his plate and Francesca's, turning his head from the remaining food on her plate as he did it.

Mrs. Vecchio walked over to him and took the plates out of his hands. "Benton, you do not feel well. Go and sit. We will clear the table." She nodded at Ray and Maria. "But I really should..." "Benton. Go sit." He gave her a grateful look. "Thank you Ma." Leaning forward he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left the room.

Making his way to the kitchen, Fraser made himself a fresh cup of his 'special' tea. Apparently he needed more than one mug. Looking down at his steaming mug, he glanced at the empty doorway. With a small smile he went to the cupboard and grabbed another mug and made a second serving of the tea. Walking to the den he found Francesca stretched out on the sofa, holding a hand to her stomach. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

Francesca opened her eyes and glared up at Fraser. She wasn't exactly in the mood to listen to him reprimand her for eating the way she did. When he silently held out the mug of tea for her, she immediately felt guilty. He wasn't going to yell at her. He was giving her the tea so that she would feel better. *Why does he always manage to make me feel like a piece of total shit?* Slowing sitting up, she took the mug from him. He turned to go and sit on another chair.

"Benton." She patted the space on the sofa next to her. She could see the relief in his face and she felt that small pang of guilt grow into a twisting knot. His feelings were so easily hurt. She kept forgetting that he was a Fraser, not a tough skinned Vecchio. As he settled on the sofa next to her she sniffed the tea and made a face. "Drink it. You'll feel much better." Looking over the cup at him as she sipped it, she thought of how many times she had purposely hurt him. And how many times he had forgiven her. She needed to stop hurting him.

She took a few more swallows of the tea. *This isn't half bad.* After drinking almost the entire mug, she set it down on the coffee table. She watched Fraser as he drained the last bit of tea from his own mug and placed it next to hers. He then leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. She looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. He was getting so relaxed around them. So much that he'd nap without feeling guilty anymore.

She moved over until she was leaning against him, resting her head on his chest. She felt his arm pull away from her. At first she thought he was angry, but as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, she snuggled contentedly against him, wrapping her own arm around his waist. It didn't take too long before the two of them curled up on the sofa, tucked against each other. She sighed as he nuzzled his face into the back of her neck. Bring his hands to her face she kissed his fingers. 

 

Ray gagged as he walked into the den. It had been almost a half hour since he had seen the two of them. Francesca was doing her best to irritate Fraser and he was doing his normal pouting instead of telling her to knock it off. Now he walked into the room and found them all snuggled up on the sofa fast asleep. Marie walked up beside him and giggled as she looked down at the pair. "That didn't last too long did it?" "It never lasts long enough as far as I'm concerned. He gives in to her too easily."

Maria smiled. "Yes he does, but that's just the way he is. He's always going to be the nice guy Ray. Face it. He'll never change." She smiled. "You have to admit they look pretty cute together." Ray snorted. "They're really cute all right. They're two sick people." Maria turned her smiling face to Ray, but the smile had turned slightly devious. "Speaking of two people, when are you going to take Meg out on a date?"

Ray walked over to his recliner and flopped down in it, grabbing the remote. "We've been out a couple of times." "You have? Where did you go?" "We had coffee the other day." Maria crossed her arms and stared down at him. "And that's why you're not married." He looked up at her thoroughly confused. "And what's that supposed to mean?" "Go on a real date Ray. Take her out to a nice restaurant. Go to the movies. You do lunch with Benton. If you want to get anywhere with Thatcher, you'll have to take her out."

"I have taken her out. We got coffee, we went skating, I attended that consular event with her." Maria rolled her eyes. "You are so stupid sometimes. Coffee isn't a date. You went skating with Frannie and Benton. And you weren't even seeing each other that time at the consulate. You need to take her 'out' Ray. Like...dancing! That's it! Take her out to dinner and then go dancing!"

Ray rolled his eyes at her. "Oh geez, here we go with the dancing." He looked at the television and began surfing through the stations. Maria reached down and snatched the remote from his hand. "Hey!" They both paused as Francesca moved on the sofa and rolled over to face Fraser. She tucked herself tightly against him and then didn't move again. Ray and Maria lowered their voices.

"Dancing is romantic Ray. Plus it's a good excuse to get close and touch each other. And touching can lead to groping and groping can lead to some really hot and heavy sex." "You're as bad as Frannie. Is that all you think about?" "No, but I bet you think about it all the time. As much as you complain about those two doing it you know you wish it was you." She smiled evilly at him and he gave her an embarrassed grin in return.

"Well...yeah. I'm only human ya know." "And you haven't gotten any in a long time either." "How do you know?" "Ray..." Maria snickered. "...when you get it, you're not as cranky." "I'm not cranky." "Uh huh." He leaned back in the recliner and held his hand out for the remote. As she gave it back to him, he gave her a wary look. "Dancing and dinner?" She smiled broadly. "Yes." He nodded yes as he began to channel surf again. "O.K., I'll ask her." Maria left the den and did a little dance in the foyer. Between her, Frannie and Benton, Ray would finally get his ass out of that recliner and back into the real world. 

 

Keeping his eyes closed, Fraser stretched against Francesca, pulling her small body tightly against him. Nuzzling his face in her hair, he breathed in the scent of strawberries. He never told her how much he loved that smell. It wasn't overpowering, it was clean and light. Sometimes she wore perfumes that almost covered that clean smell. He had wanted to ask her not to wear anything, but it wasn't his place. She had a right to wear what she wanted.

Taking another deep breath, he pressed himself against her, feeling himself tightening. With a sigh he loosened his grip, letting his fingers lightly run over her hip. All he wanted to do was awaken her and make soft love, but they wouldn't be doing anything for the next two weeks. *How am I going to do this?* Pulling back slightly, he looked at her sleeping face. Bringing a finger up, he traced a path along her lips. He loved the feel of those full lips as she would suck at him. The seductive glance she would give him under shadowed eyes. The deep red lipstick she would wear.

With a slight jerk, Fraser pushed himself back from Francesca, his erection constricted in his jeans. Tearing his gaze from her face, he looked at the television instead, trying to concentrate on the basketball game. That meant that Ray was in the room with them. He strained to listen for any movements. All he heard was a light snore. With a smile he knew that Ray was sound asleep. Looking back at Francesca, he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. She stirred slightly as his lips brushed against hers.

Kissing a trail down her neck, he stopped at her ear. "Francesca." She moved again, her voice sleepy as she spoke. "What?" Fraser returned to kissing her neck. She tucked her head down and giggled as he licked her ear. "Benton stop it." With an evil grin, he bit her. She started laughing as he rolled over on top of her. "Do you feel better?" She smiled up at him. "Much better. Your tea worked." Grabbing him by the back of the head, she pulled him down and began kissing him. Tracing her tongue along his teeth, she flicked it over the one crooked tooth of his that made his smile so endearing to her.

There were a few imperfections that marred his almost model like features that made her want to reach out and hug him all the time. The two small scars on his face and that crooked tooth. Running her tongue along it once more, Fraser laughed into her mouth and pulled away. "Stop that." "Why? Does it bother you to know you're not perfect?" He blinked once or twice and dropped his head down. "Francesca...I have never said that I was perfect. You and Ray are always saying that."

Reaching a finger up, she touched the scar on his cheek. "I hope you're not gonna go running through glass doors anymore." Moving his head to the side, Fraser grabbed Francesca's finger between his teeth and bit her. She feigned being hurt and yanked the finger out of his mouth. "Ow! That hurt!" She twisted slightly underneath him, so he couldn't see her slight smile. The smile grew bigger as she heard the guilt in his voice.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bite you so hard. May I see your finger please?" "No. You bit me!" She made her voice warble slightly hoping that he thought she was close to tears. "Francesca...I didn't mean to...well I did mean to bite you...just not so hard. I'm sorry. Please, let me see your finger." She turned her smiling face to him and crooked her finger in his face. "Then kiss it and make it all better."

Fraser stared at the finger in question and then looked down at Francesca's smiling face. He raised an eyebrow at her. "You are a faker Francesca Vecchio." "No...you are a sucker, Benton Fraser." With a teasing grin he placed a kiss on the tip of her finger. When she pushed her finger between her lips he suckled it gently until she slowly pulled it from his mouth. They stared at one another for a moment before he pushed himself up. He moved to the end of the sofa. With a confused look on her face, Francesca scrambled up to a sitting position. "Are you mad? I was only teasing you." He sighed. "I know you were only teasing. I just had to sit up."

With a knowing smile, she slid over and leaned against him. With a snicker, she poked him in the crotch. "You have a woody." "That's enough!" They both jerked around to see Ray angrily staring at them. "Uh...hello Ray." "Don't hello me Benny, you freaking rabbit!" Ray's face was one of disgust. "Haven't you learned how to control yourself yet?" Fraser's voice was a low mumble. "Apparently not." Francesca giggled and smiled at Ray. "What did he just say?" "Nothing Ray."

Reaching down, Francesca squeezed Fraser's crotch. "Stop it!" He pushed her hand away. "What are you two doin?" While holding her hands, Fraser twisted around to face Ray. "We are not doing anything." "Yeah, I bet." "Really Ray...we're not...stop it Francesca...we're not doing anything." "If you're not doin anything, then why are you tellin Frannie to stop it?" Fraser sat for a second thinking, as he fended off Francesca's hands. "We are not doing anything Ray. Francesca is 'attempting' to do something."

Ray stared blankly back at Fraser. "You are amazing. How you can say crap like that with a straight face is unbelievable." Ignoring Ray, Fraser turned back to Francesca. He held her hands away from him, talking to her in a whisper. "Please stop it. I need to go home." She stopped her struggling to grab him and frowned. They spoke to each other in low whispers. "Why do you have to go?" "I have to work tomorrow." "Oh." She smiled at him. "Can I come over tonight?" "No." "No?! Why not?" Glancing at Ray he looked back at her.

Feeling an embarrassed flush making its way up his face, Fraser nodded at his lap. "I don't think I would be able to sleep if you came home with me." "What are you two whispering about?!" Francesca glared over at Ray and yelled at him. "Butt out!" She quickly turned back to Fraser, lowing her voice back to a whisper. "I promise I won't do anything." Looking down at his feet, he shook his head. "It wouldn't matter." With a wicked smile Francesca leaned into Fraser. "Let's forget about the bet then. It's stupid." "No, I think it will make us appreciate what we have together." Francesca pouted. "Or drive us up the wall." 

 

They sat silently next to each other basically waiting for Fraser to gain some 'control' of himself. "Are you ready?" With a nod, he slowly stood up, resisting the temptation to adjust himself. He knew that Ray was watching him like a hawk. As he turned to make his way out of the den he met Ray's dirty look. "Thank you for the outing last night...I think." Ray's face immediately broke out into a smile, making Fraser feel decidedly uneasy. "Oh you're more than welcome Benny. I'll see you in the morning when I come to pick you up." Giving Ray a puzzled look he said good night to him and left the den.

Francesca walked with Fraser to the foyer holding onto his hand. She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them. "You sure I can't go home with you?" She smiled softly at him and slowly took his thumb between her teeth and sucked at it. Pulling his hand from her grasp, he embraced her, running his fingers through her hair. "There's nothing I would like better than for you to go home with me, but you can't." She hugged him tightly. "This bet is dumb." "Most are, but we have made an agreement and I'm going to keep to my word." Francesca sighed. "It figures."

With a small chuckle, Fraser moved away slightly and gave her a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." "O.K. You be careful going home." "I will." Looking around the hall Fraser dropped his head in defeat. "Where's Diefenbaker?" "Well if he's not here, you know where he's at." "Angelo's bed?" "That's where he goes every night now." "He's spoiled. He's an arctic wolf not a coddled house pet." "No Benton, Dief 'is' a house pet." "No he's not..." "Benton face it. Dief is a pet now. There's no denying it. If you go upstairs and look in Angelo's room you'll see him on the bed curled up like any other dog."

Seeing the look of dismay on Fraser's face, Francesca choked back her laughter. "Forget about Dief. Give me another good night kiss." Casting a disappointed look up the stairs he turned back to her with the intent of giving her a small good night kiss. What he started as a gentle kiss, Francesca turned into a tongue thrusting good night grope. He grabbed her arms and quickly pulled away from her before she could get him too worked up again. "This is why you can't come home with me." With an evil grin Francesca shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry."

Shaking his head Fraser zipped up his coat. "You are not sorry in the least." Backing away from her, he found the door knob and let himself out. "Good night." "'Night Benton." The moment the door clicked shut, she ran to the window and watched him walk out of sight. Angrily pulling the curtains back into place she frowned. "This sucks!" Walking towards the den, she looked in the room and then back up the stairs. *Go in there and listen to Ray bitch or go to bed alone?* Without hesitating Francesca ran up the stairs to her bedroom. 

 

Hanging his coat in the closet, Fraser went about preparing his uniform for the next day. Once he was done picking every piece of lint off of it and polished his boot until they gleamed, he grabbed his bedroll and went to the livingroom. He rolled out the bedroll, lay down and closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. After laying awake for over half an hour he jumped up from the floor, staring at the room around him. Every time he had closed his eyes all he could think of was Francesca. *What you can't have, you always want the most. That's what Dad always said.*

With a sigh he pulled his jeans back on, grabbed a hammer and set about finishing the work that needed to be done in the room. By the time he sanded the last board and pounded in the last nail he was ready to fall asleep on his feet. Looking at his watch he cringed. *Quarter 'til two.* Dropping the hammer unceremoniously in the tool box at his feet, Fraser pulled his jeans off and tossed them on the sofa. Crawling back into the bedroll he immediately fell asleep. 

 

Pulling the comforter back, Francesca slid into the cool cotton sheets and covered herself up. She flipped back and forth on the bed. She couldn't sleep. She missed feeling Fraser's arms around her. Whenever she slept with him, she would place her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. It never failed to put her to sleep. Now all she could think of was how he looked sitting on the sofa. Blushing like a fool with an erection straining through his jeans. Closing her eyes she recalled the feel of him as he lay on top of her. The hardness of his body pressed against her. The softness of his tongue in her mouth, The taste of him on her lips.

She felt the tenseness building in her. She wanted him now, not in two weeks. *All I have to do is sneak over there and work on him for a few minutes. I know he wants to do it.* She lay in bed thinking of the things she would do to him. And more importantly, the things that he would do to her. *He'll say no. That damn code of honor of his!* She fidgeted on the bed, tossing and turning a few more times.

Looking guiltily at her bedroom door that was slightly ajar, she let her hand trail teasingly over her breasts and down her flat stomach. A finger traced a path along the elastic waistband of her panties. Slowly easing her hand under the band, she caressed the soft wiry curls before letting her fingers drift down to slowly rub at her sex. Closing her eyes she thought of Fraser. The way he would touch her. The feel of his breath hot on her thighs. The way his teeth would nibble tenderly at her flesh. The way his tongue would lap at her as he kissed her in the most intimate of kisses.

Feeling her own wetness, she let out a soft moan as she pushed a finger in, sliding it slowly in and out of herself before she returned to rubbing at her small pearl once more. Trailing her other hand to her breast, she cupped it, kneading the flesh before she roughly pinched a nipple. Increasing her pace, she stroked her hand against the moist flesh between her legs, arching her back as she felt her body tense before it's release. Biting back a loud moan, she felt her orgasm convulse its way through her as she continued to plunder her own body. With a slight jerk, she pulled her hand away from herself.

As she lay in bed letting her heart rate slow down she looked back at the door, almost expecting to see Fraser standing there with a disappointed look on his face. Admonishing her for showing no control at all. She snickered at the mental image and pulled the comforter tightly around her. *He won't even know. Besides, I bet he cheats as well. There's no way in hell Mr. Horny is gonna go two weeks without doin anything.* Snuggling against her pillow, Francesca fell asleep dreaming of her and Fraser together. 

 

Standing on the sidewalk outside of his small home, Fraser stifled a yawn. Normally he could make due with under four hours of sleep, but his sleep had not been restful. He dreamt of Francesca all night. And those dreams always took on an erotic twist. He had woke up twice, both times with a painful throbbing erection. The only things that kept him from taking care of them, was his agreement with Francesca. If she were to forego any physical gratification it would have been unfair for him to break his word and 'take care of business'.

Closing his eyes, he recited parts of the R.C.M.P. regulation manual, trying to keep his mind off of what he had done to her in those dreams. The feelings had been so real. He could almost taste her. The sharp sound of the Rivs horn jerked him back to the present. Opening the door, he slid into his spot and tossed his stetson carelessly on the dash. He mumbled a sleepy "Good morning" to Ray and looked into the back seat. Diefenbaker smiled back at him but his ears went down slightly when Fraser gave him a hard stare.

His voice was rather harsh as he spoke to the wolf. "You need to start coming home with me Diefenbaker. This staying over and sleeping with Angelo needs to stop." Ray smiled at Fraser. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Casting Ray a tired glance, Fraser rubbed his fingers over a temple, biting back a retort. "You comin to the precinct later?" "Yes." "You want me to come and pick you up?" "No." Ray smiled again. "Cranky."

Taking a deep breath Fraser pushed back the irritation that was growing in him. *Ray has done nothing wrong. Diefenbaker has done nothing wrong. Show some control for God's sake.* "I'm sorry for sounding so curt. I didn't sleep very well." Ray snorted. "That's something new. You never have any trouble sleeping on the sofa with Frannie." Looking out the passenger side window Fraser frowned. That was the problem. Sleeping with Francesca was easy. With her small body tucked against him, he felt secure and loved. Without her, he felt as empty and cold as the Northwest Territories.

They remained quiet the rest of the way to the consulate. Fraser watched the Riv pull away from the curb and gave Ray a small wave. With a weary sigh he walked up the steps wondering what the day had in store for him. All he knew is he hoped that Thatcher wouldn't place him on sentry duty all day. He wasn't in the mood for it. Normally it would give him a chance to think things over, but he knew he would only end up thinking about Francesca and that could lead to a very embarrassing situation if he lost his self control. He knew that Thatcher would never forgive him for something of 'that' nature while on duty.

Luckily Thatcher seemed to be in a relatively good mood. When he thanked her again for getting the tickets to the game, she waved him off. "It was my pleasure. Did you have a good time? How was the game?" He could feel his face growing hot. How could he tell her, he really had no idea what type of night he had. As he opened his mouth to speak, Turnbull who had been walking past them as he dusted the woodwork in the hall, excitedly cut in. "Oh it was a great game Inspector Thatcher! The Leafs played their best. The defense was tight and they were victorious." Thatcher nodded happily. "Yes. I thought they would win. If you will excuse me, I have an appointment to go to. Fraser you're in charge. I'll be back around noon."

She crisply walked away from them and Turnbull moved to continue his dusting. Fraser stopped him. "Excuse me Turnbull." "Yes Constable Fraser, how may I be of assistance?" He smiled at Fraser in the way that only Turnbull could. The half innocent, half maniacal look of his. "I...how did you feel yesterday? After our evening out?" Turnbull's smile brightened, his hands gesturing excitedly. "Oh I felt wonderful! I had such a nice time at the game and then my friends and I all went out to a few bars and we...well needless to say, I had a marvelous time associating with them. I'd like to thank you again for allowing me the honor of attending your bachelor party. I apologize for not going to the bar afterwards with you." Turnbull leaned towards him and almost leered. "Were the strippers entertaining?" "Um...yes...I think." "Ah. I understand Sir." Turnbull made a zipping movement across his lips. "You can count on me to keep it secret."

Fraser stared blankly back at Turnbull who took that as his cue to move on. With a smile he turned and continued dusting the furniture around the hall. Looking down at the floor, Fraser tried to understand some things. Turnbull wasn't sick. And he hadn't gone to the bar with them afterwards. And who were the friends that he had been talking about? Shaking his head, he tried to clear these thoughts from his mind. He couldn't remember much of anything and what he did remember was all a confused jumble of information.

Walking back to his cramped office, he settled in his chair, pulling a stack of reports in front of him. Busy work. He needed busy work to occupy his mind. When he was idle he would begin day dreaming of Francesca or he would try to remember his night out. The small headache that he had in the morning was now a throbbing pain. Rubbing his hands over his face, he picked up a pen and began to meticulously fill out the papers. Before he knew it, there was a light tap at his door. "Yes?" The door opened and Thatcher walked in.

"Fraser. It's three o'clock." He quickly looked at his watch. "Oh. I hadn't realized the time." He stood and tried to not stretch. His back was stiff from sitting so long and now he could feel his bladder screaming in protest at having been ignored for so long. Looking at the finished stack of reports, Thatcher smiled at him. "I see you've been rather busy." "Yes Sir. They're all finished." "Fraser...you had until Thursday to get them done." "I know, but I felt they needed to be completed and taken care of as soon as possible."

Thatcher gave him a curious look before moving to leave the room. "I appreciate your enthusiasm Constable, but the next time it wouldn't hurt you to eat lunch or take a break. Have a nice evening." Fraser looked at her confused. "Sir?" "Go home." "But I haven't..." "Are you questioning me?" "No Sir." "Good. Now go." She walked out of his office, her healed shoes clicking in time to her brisk step. Cleaning his desk off, Fraser left his office and headed down the hall. Making a side trip to the lavatory, he sighed in relief as he urinated, making a mental note to himself to not ignore his bodys demands just because he was occupied with work. Walking out of the building he bade good night to Turnbull who was on sentry duty.

Once he was walking down the street, Fraser took a deep breath, enjoying the cold afternoon air. The walk to the precinct would do him good. His back was finally starting to lose its tight feel. Ever since Ray had shot him, if he stayed in one position for too long, his back muscles would begin to stiffen. The only person who had any idea that he still had any trouble with his back was Francesca. He hadn't wanted to tell Ray anything, not wanting to bring up that incident. Neither one of them wanted to talk about that time in their lives very much and telling Ray about the pain wouldn't make it better. As he continued walking, a slight smile appeared on his face. Fraser wondered what case Ray would have waiting on his desk for him to help solve. 

 

The moment Fraser walked into the bullpen, he could feel the stares of people as he went towards Ray's desk. He looked over at Francesca, who quickly dropped her head down. He approached Ray, feeling a tinge of apprehension in the pit of his stomach. "Good afternoon Ray." "Hey Benny." Ray's smile was decidedly evil. Fraser looked around the bullpen and cringed inwardly as Huey and Dewey headed their way.

Dewey walked directly up to Fraser and looked him over, a smile creeping it's way across his face. Fraser kept his face blank. "May I help you Detective?" Dewey snickered and looked back at Huey. "Yeah he's back to being the overgrown boy scout." Huey chuckled and smiled at Fraser. "Do you remember what you did?" Fraser licked his lip, feeling his mouth go dry. "I remember some things, but they are indistinct." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ray placing his index finger down his throat.

Fraser whipped his head around to stare at him. With a guilty look, Ray stopped in mid motion, slowly removing his finger from his mouth. Ray could see the look of hurt in Fraser's eyes, but he quickly masked it. Without a word he turned and walked away from them and over to Francesca's desk. "Benny! Come back here!" He ignored Ray and stopped directly in front of her desk. "Hi Benton." She craned her neck around him to look at Ray who was gesturing wildly at her. He made a slashing motion across his throat and stared back at her. Francesca smiled and looked at Fraser.

"Ray told everyone about the game, the bar and you puking your guts up." He could feel his chest tightening in anger and shame. *Why did Ray have to tell everyone?* Taking a shaky breath, Fraser held his stetson tightly in his hands before placing it back on his head. "Thank you for telling me. I'll see you after work. Good day." "'Bye Benton." Turning, he walked away from her and out of the bullpen, never once looking in Ray's direction. Ray's mouth dropped open as he watched him leave.

As soon as Fraser left the room, Ray jumped up from his desk and ran over to Francesca. "What in the hell did you say to him?!" She smiled sweetly. "I told him the truth. You blabbed to everyone what he did." "You did not!" "Yes I did. He knows that everyone else knows that he was obnoxious and blew chunks all over the place." "You bitch! Why'd ya have to tell him that?!" "He asked me, so I told him. What did you want me to do? Lie to him?" "Why not? You've lied to him plenty of times before. Why the big change now?" "Go to hell Ray."

He waved a hand at Francesca and rushed back to his desk. Pushing past Huey and Dewey, he grabbed his coat and hurried out of the bullpen in search of Fraser. Running down the hall, he pushed the door open to the back entrance and jumped down the step, landing in a deep puddle of mushy snow and mud. "Damn it!" Shaking the excess slop off of his now ruined shoes, he looked up to see Fraser steadily walking away from the precinct. He practically ran after him, but was careful not to go at full speed. That's all he would need was to slip and land on his ass in the slop and ruin his suit as well.

"Benny!" Fraser ignored him again. Coming up behind him, Ray placed his hand on Fraser's sleeve, surprised when he jerked away from his touch. "Aw come on Benny, don't be like this! You got to admit it was all kinda funny." Fraser stopped walking and Ray bumped into him from behind. When Fraser turned around to face him, his face was blank. "Not remembering what I did and being violently ill is not funny Ray. And having everyone know what I did is not amusing. I expected more from you than this." Turning his back on Ray once more, Fraser walked away from him.

"Aw come on! I'm sorry I told everyone." He stood in the snow, watching Fraser practically march away from him. *Crap!* Running to catch up to him, he yanked Fraser by the arm and spun him around to face him. The blank stare was now replaced by an irritated expression. "Please leave me alone Ray." "Look, I'm sorry. At least I told everyone the truth. If Dewey would have told the stories, you would have ended up dancing naked on a table." Fraser's face paled slightly. "I danced naked on a table?" "No! You took your shirt off and tried takin your pants off, but I stopped you." "Did I dance like that?" "No, you didn't dance, I talked you out of that too." "Oh." Fraser looked down at his feet, his face tinged pink with embarrassment. "What else did I do?"

Ray started laughing and Fraser's head jerked up. "You really don't remember any of it do you?" "Not really. Most of it is a blur." Ray laughed some more. "It's not funny Ray." He stopped laughing, but kept the smile on his face. "Yes it is funny. You're a bad drunk Benny." He reached out and grabbed him by the coat sleeve and tugged him slightly. "Come back inside and I'll tell you what you did." Fraser took a step back from Ray, shaking his head no. "I'm not going back in there. It's too embarrassing."

Ray laughed again. "You are totally clue less you know that don't you? If anything, this has helped you. People don't see you as mister perfect anymore." Fraser clenched his fists tightly at his side. "Why has everyone labeled me as perfect? I have never made any claim to being that way." "You're a perfectionist Benny. You don't do things half way. Admit it. If you can't do something right, you keep working at it until you can do it perfect." Fraser raised his chin a bit. "There's nothing wrong with self improvement."

Ray shook his head in aggravation. "There is when you set high expectations for yourself. So high in fact that it makes you unreal. No one can come close to being like you." Fraser sighed. "I have never asked anyone to be like me." "You may not ask them, but they feel like you look down at them for not being as good as you." Ray grinned. "Hell, some of the people just think you're nuts." Fraser shifted uncomfortably. "Is this how you see me as well?"

Ray watched as Fraser changed from being irritated to looking upset. Except for Francesca, no one else would have been able to see the change. "Nah. I know you act weird sometimes, but that's only because of the way you were raised." *Uh oh. Wrong thing to say.* Fraser grit his teeth as he spoke. "I know I don't quiet fit in Ray, I never have, but I do not see myself as being weird." "Um...maybe weird is the wrong word I'm looking for." "Then how would you describe me Ray. Using the correct word." He stared back at Ray, his eyes glittering dangerously. *Pick the right word Ray. Don't piss him off any further.*

Ray clapped his hands nervously together. "Unique. That's the word I was looking for." All he got was the same angry stare. "Come on. Let's go inside. It's cold out here." He nodded towards the building behind them. Fraser's stubborn streak was on full blast. "I'm not cold." Ray sighed. "Please come back in." "No." "No? Why not? You afraid to take a little teasing? Are you too good to let them make a joke at your expense?" "Ray, I'm tired of being the center of their jokes." Ray chuckled. "What makes you think you're the center of their jokes?"

Fraser took his stetson off, knocking the snow from it before placing it back on his head. "Ray, I have excellent hearing. I've heard enough stupid canuck jokes to last me a lifetime." "Well then maybe you should make some dumb American jokes or try just laughing with them." Fraser shook his head no. "Two wrongs don't make a right." "Then tell them to fuck off!" Ray yelled at Fraser. He was getting tired of arguing with him. To his surprise, Fraser smiled.

"Ray, I can't do that." Ray smiled back at him. "Yeah, but you want to. I know you'd like to say it to Dewey." "Why?" "Because of some of the stuff you said to him the other night." Fraser hung his head in shame. "I can only imagine what I said." "Don't imagine. Come back in and I'll tell you. We'll work on a few case files and I'll tell you how much fun you had." Shaking his head again, Fraser smiled slightly and walked past Ray in the direction of the precinct building. With a triumphant smile Ray followed him.

As they walked back into the bullpen, Francesca smiled at Fraser. He felt himself grinning back at her for no reason at all. As he took a step in the direction of her desk, Ray grabbed him by the shoulder and directed him back to his desk. "I didn't ruin a good pair of shoes just to have you go over and play kissy face with Frannie. You're comin with me."

Taking his stetson off he set it on the corner of the desk. As he shrugged off his coat he looked back over at Francesca, catching her staring at him. She put her head down trying to hide her grin. Peeking under lowered lashes she waved to him from across the room. Fraser automatically began moving toward her only to be stopped by Ray's voice. "Sit down cottontail." As he sat across from Ray, Fraser shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "Very funny Ray." Ray tossed a file in front of him. "Murder. Single gunshot to the head. Look it over while I tell you what happened at the game."

Fraser's fingers gripped the folder tightly as a gnawing fear grew in the pit of his stomach as Ray described their time at the hockey game. Ray's recital of the evening was punctuated by several 'oh dears, dear Lords and oh mys' as Fraser reacted to his tale. When Ray came to Fraser's discussion with Dewey over their penis sizes, Fraser dropped his head, blushing in shame. "I did not say that to him." "Oh yes you did. I thought Welsh and Huey were gonna piss themselves laughing."

Ray continued talking and stopped only when he told Fraser about him grabbing a man and almost punching him out. The look on Fraser's face was one of regret and humiliation. "I assaulted someone?" "Almost. It wasn't that bad. I mean you just drug him up over the railing and choked him a little." Fraser sighed. "I assaulted him Ray." He brought his head up and looked straight into Ray's eyes. "You should have arrested me." Ray threw his hands up in the air.

"Oh boy! Here we go! Arrest you? I was havin too much fun watchin you do all that." "What I did wasn't funny Ray. I could have hurt that man." "Hey, you could have fooled me. Ask Huey, Dewey and Welsh what they think about it. They'd say you were hysterical." Fraser looked down at the folder in his lap as Ray began to tell him about the trip to the bar after the game. This time the only reaction he got from Fraser was the occasional cringe. When he came to the part where Fraser was trying to piss Francesca's name in the snow he looked up at Ray, his face going pale.

"I did what?" Ray was leaning back in his chair laughing. "You were gonna try and piss Francesca in the snow, but her name was too long. You stood by the street holding your dick, deciding how to do it." Fraser's brow knitted in concentration as he tried to remember any part of the incident. His only memory was going to the bathroom somewhere, but he couldn't place the location. He looked back at Ray. "Was I successful?" Ray burst out laughing, causing most of the bullpen to look their way. He shook his head no. "Leave it to you to want to know if you did it. You said that it was too long, why wasn't Frannie named Lisa or something else small. I yelled at you and you ended up pissing on the alley wall instead."

Fraser closed his eyes briefly. In Ray's narration so far he had insulted friends, assaulted a stranger, urinated in public and he basically acted in a manner most unbecoming an officer in the R.C.M.P. *This is too much. I'm never going to touch alcohol again as long as I live.* Ray continued telling Fraser what he did once they came home. Fraser again lowered his gaze to his lap. The humiliation of it all was too much. "And you and Frannie...you two..." Fraser blushed. "I know what we did. Francesca told me." Ray snickered. "When you're drunk, you really don't give a shit about anything."

Fraser kept his head down, feeling his cheeks getting hotter as he tried to blink back tears. "I'm sorry Ray. I apologize. I didn't mean to humiliate you or your family by my actions. It won't happen again." Ray sighed. "Benny." Fraser didn't look up at him. He made quite a pathetic figure sitting at Ray's desk. "Benny, it's Okay, you didn't do anything wrong. It was a bachelor party, people expect stuff like that to happen." "That's no excuse for my behavior Ray..." "Oh come on! Relax! No one got hurt. I mean you were sick as a dog, don't you think you paid for all the stuff you did? And Ma didn't kick us out of the house or tell you that you and Frannie couldn't get married. Everything's fine."

Ray looked around the bullpen and realized that Huey and Dewey hadn't tried to come over and tease Fraser one bit since they came back into the building. He frowned in confusion. "Benny, have you noticed the duck boys have left you alone?" Fraser brought his red tinged face up and a confused look passed over his features. It quickly changed to a knowing smile as he looked over at Francesca. She caught his eye and smiled, waving her fingers at him. "Excuse me for a moment Ray."

He stood and walked over to Francesca's desk. She grinned up at him. "Yes Benton?" He smiled slightly as he looked down at her. "What did you say to them?" "Who's them?" He smiled and cocked an eyebrow at her, nodding his head in the general direction of Huey and Dewey. Her smile grew brighter. "Oh, them! I told 'them' if they didn't leave you alone, I'd make sure they couldn't have any offspring." Chuckling, he leaned down and kissed her. "Thank you kindly, Ms. Vecchio." "You're welcome, Constable."

Francesca watched as Fraser walked back over to Ray's desk, cupping her chin in her hands as she stared at his ass. When he sat down, she moved her gaze to his face, watching his lips as he talked, the way his eyes would light up when he found something of interest to him. Shaking herself, she grabbed a pile of folders and stood. *No sense in getting all worked up for nothing.* As she walked past Fraser and Ray, she made sure Fraser was looking at her, before she changed her stride to a provocative stroll. She smiled when she saw the look of longing on his face. She laughed as she heard Ray yell at Fraser for gawking at her. *Yeah, he's all mine.*

As she turned the corner and walked down the hall, she got a sense of deja vu. She stopped in the hall and abruptly turned with the intention of going down another corridor. As she turned, she ran into someone. She gasped and took a quick step back as she saw who it was. Tom Dougherty. Fumbling with the folders in her hands, she tried to keep from screaming. He hadn't done anything to her and if she yelled, everyone would look at her like she was an idiot.

He stared down at her, his eyes hard, his lips drawn back into a sneer. "Hey Frannie. How are you?" "Excuse me, but I have to go." She moved to walk past him, but he blocked her path. "Go where? You can't fuck him here ya know, so what's the rush? Stay and 'talk' to me for a change." She could feel the anger and fear building inside of herself. The fear was an obvious reaction. She didn't want to be hurt again. The anger was at herself for allowing him to get to her like this again. *I won't let him bully me!*

"Get out of my way." Tom sniggered. "What? No pretty please or thank you kindly can you move please?" He shook his head and made tsking noise at her, wagging a finger in her face. "I guess the little faggots manners haven't rubbed off on you yet." She gritted her teeth. "I said move!" He smiled nastily and took a small step to the side. Taking a deep breath, Francesca began to squeeze past him, only to have Tom grab her by the arm. He held her tightly, but not so tight as to leave any marks on her this time. His voice was low and menacing as he whispered in her ear, his breath hot on her neck. "You're mine you little slut. I'll have you sooner or later." He licked her neck and shoved her away from him. His voice was louder. "Don't forget it. You're mine."

As she hurried down the hall away from him, she wiped at her neck, trying to erase the memory of his touch on her. Making her way to the bathroom, she grabbed several paper towels and wet them, adding soap she scrubbed at her neck until it was raw. No matter how much she tried, she still felt like she was dirty. Francesca felt the sting of tears in her eyes. *You will not cry. That's what the bastard wants. If you cry, he wins!*

Splashing water over her face, she patted her skin dry. Her neck was slightly pink from her rubbing at it, but she could say that she had been scratching an itch or something. Snatching the folders from the sink beside her, Francesca cautiously made her way back down the same hall. She wasn't about to let Tom scare her from doing her job. She spied Tom and another officer near the end of the hall. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked past them, clutching the folders to her chest.

She heard the other man make a comment. "How good a fuck was she?" Their laughter echoed in the hallway, her ears burning in humiliation. She had been right. Tom was telling everyone that she had sex with him. There was no way she could ever try and turn him in for doing any of this to her. No one would believe her. She was the trampy civilian aid and Tom was a respected detective on the force.

Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill, she turned the corner and walked towards the forensics office where she would drop the folders off. Then she would have to go back to the bullpen and try and act like nothing had ever happened. There was no way in hell she was going to have Fraser getting upset again by any of this. He would never find out about it if she could help it. 

 

Running her fingers nervously through her hair, Francesca walked into the bullpen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Fraser wasn't sitting at Ray's desk. And her luck was doubled. Ray wasn't there either. *Thank you God!* As she sat down at her desk, she smiled as she picked up a folded piece of paper. Opening it, her smile grew bigger. *Ray and I have gone out to work on a case. Hopefully we will return shortly. If not, I will see you tonight at dinner.* He signed his initials and placed a little heart below them. In the heart were the letters AML. *He's so cute...all my love.*

Opening a drawer, she pulled out her purse and tucked the note in a side pocket. When she went home that evening, she would place it with the others like it. Every note or card that he gave her was saved. Having thought at one time that Fraser would never be hers, she had kept every single thing he had ever given her. And now that he was hers, she hoarded his little messages. She smiled again as she thought of the large pile of notes and messages he had written her in the past few months.

Her smile faded as she watched Tom stroll through the bullpen. He stared at her possessively causing her to look down. Even his looking at her made Francesca feel like she was being violated in some way. The hairs on the end of her neck stood up as she heard him utter a nasty snicker. When she looked back up, he blew her a kiss and walked out of the bullpen. Looking back down at her desk top, she grabbed a folder and hurriedly flipped through it, trying to get his image out of her mind. All she could see was him leaning against her and then the disgusting feel of his tongue on her neck.

"Frannie?" With a start, she jerked her head up. Dewey was standing in front of her desk, his expression worried. "You O.K.? Is that jerk bothering you?" She blinked in confusion. *He knows?* "Um...I'm fine." Her voice sounded strained, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She was anything but fine. Dewey looked down at her, a doubtful look in his eyes. "Well...if you ever need anything don't be afraid to ask me or Huey, O.K.?" She smiled weakly at him. "Yeah...thanks." With a nod of understanding, he went back over to his desk. As he sat down he gave her a reassuring smile. She gave him a another wavering smile before returning her attention to the work in front of her. 

 

Ray and Fraser didn't come back until Francesca was getting ready to go home. She suppressed a smile at the pair as they walked into the bullpen. Ray was covered in mud and his clothing looked damp. Fraser was immaculate as always. She heard the pleading tone in Fraser's voice as she walked over to them. "Ray, I'm sorry." "Yeah I bet you are." She came up to Fraser and kissed him. "Hi Benton." He gave her a distracted kiss back. "Good afternoon Francesca." She smiled. "Hi dirtball." Ray gave her a nasty look. "Very funny." "So how'd you get dirty this time Ray?" He turned his glare back to Fraser as Francesca giggled.

Ray gestured angrily at Fraser. "He pushed me into a mud puddle!" Francesca turned a surprised face to Fraser and swatted him on the arm. "Benton! Why'd you do that?!" Fraser looked nervously from one Vecchio to the other. "I had a perfectly valid reason for pushing him Francesca." Ray made a snorting sound and rolled his eyes. "And what could make it okay to push Ray into a puddle of mud?" Fraser rubbed his thumb across his brow. He really didn't want to tell Francesca, she would only get upset. "Ray was being shot at. If I hadn't pushed him, he would have been injured."

Francesca immediate spun around to look at Ray, her eyes wide. "Are you all right?" Ray swiped angrily at some mud caked on a pant leg. "Yeah, I'm fine. Do you see me here and not at a hospital?" He glared at Fraser again. "He's ruined another one of my suits." Fraser held his hands up apologetically. "I'm sorry Ray." Francesca snapped at Fraser. "Oh quit apologizing Benton. You've said it once and that's enough." She crossed her arms and looked Ray over. "You know he did save your life Ray." Ray's voice was sarcastic. "Well he could try something new Frannie. Like yelling, hey Ray, look out you're gonna get shot. But nooooo, mister hero here has to run over and push me down." Francesca watched Fraser's face. He was looking extremely upset, his fingers working nervously around the brim of his stetson.

"Ya know Ray, he save your life and all you can do is bitch at the way he did it. You're such an ass. And ya know, maybe you should try not buying such expensive suits. Why can't you just buy them off the rack like everyone else? You really don't make enough money to be buying Armani all the time." Ray's mouth dropped open, his face turning slightly red. "No way! There in no way in hell I'm gonna buy off the rack! I have a reputation to uphold!" Francesca rolled her eyes and Fraser looked down at his feet trying to hide his slight smile."

"Ya know you have room to be tellin me how to dress. You make a hell of a lot less than I do and look at all of the expensive clothes you buy!" Francesca smiled and buffed her brightly polished nails on her coat. "I wear an extremely small size. I can get really nice clothes for lower prices because I know how to shop. Do you know what a clearance sale is Ray?" Fraser coughed in his hand, trying to cover up a chuckle. "You think this is funny mister L.L. Bean?" Fraser looked at Ray confused and then looked at Francesca. "L.L. Bean?" She grinned at him. "Do you remember the shop at the mall that you really liked? The one with all the flannel stuff." Fraser smiled. "Ah." He looked back at Ray. "I don't shop for my clothing there Ray. They are too expensive and the quality isn't the same as I can get back home."

Ray looked exasperated. "You know what I mean! All you wear is flannel and jeans. Besides your uniforms, that's all you own." Francesca reached out and pushed Ray. "You are ignorant!" "Well...it's true!" "He has a couple of nice suits and not all of his shirts are flannel!" Francesca..." "What does it matter to you anyway what he wears?" "Francesca..." "Just because he doesn't waste his money trying to impress everyone, it doesn't give you the right to be rude to him." Fraser sighed. Another argument over a petty subject. "Francesca, please stop arguing with Ray over this. It doesn't matter. I wear what I have and there's no reason to get upset about it." "But he was..." "Francesca, no more arguing. Please." "I don't see why you have to be so nice to him." Fraser raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh all right! Let's go home."

She grabbed Fraser by the hand and began pulling him out of the bullpen. Ray walked behind them. "So Frannie, how are you and Benny gettin home?" "Oh don't be such a jerk Ray! You're takin us home." "Francesca please don't..." "Shut up Benton." Ray sniggered. "She told you." "You shut up too Ray." Fraser turned his head slightly towards Ray and smiled back at him as they walked out of the precinct building towards the Riv. He felt Francesca yank at his hand. He turned to look at her and saw that she was grinning. He squeezed her hand and as she let him into the back seat of the car, he quickly gave her a kiss, ignoring Ray's disgusted look. 

 

By the time they reached the Vecchio's house, the discussion of clothing was brought up again. As they took their coats off in the foyer, Francesca looked Fraser over, a frown on her face. "Benton, do you have any shorts? What about a bathing suit? Or tank tops?" Fraser slowly hung his coat up as he looked thoughtfully at her. "Yes, I do have a bathing suit..." Ray mumbled under his breath just loud enough for them to hear. "Yeah a R.C.M.P. one." Francesca shot Ray a look and then smiled encouragingly at Fraser. "What about shorts?" "No." "Tank tops?" "I have a few white ones..." Francesca shook her head no. "Tank tops Benton. The ones you wear like t-shirts in the summer, not undershirts." "Oh. Then no I do not have any tank tops."

Francesca smiled brightly. "I thought so. You and I need to go shopping this weekend." Ray snickered. "Why? Didn't you guys just say he didn't need any new clothes?" "Ray, they're for the trip to Florida. We'll be on the beach and there's no way I'm gonna let him out on the beach wearing flannel, jeans or hiking boots." She looked down at Fraser's tall brown boots. "Benton, have you ever gone barefoot?" Fraser looked blankly at her and Ray snickered again. "I bet his feet don't know even know what grass feels like." "Ray don't be silly. I know what grass feels like. I have walked on it before." Francesca smiled again. "Do you own flip flops?" Fraser's face grew confused. "Flip flops?"

She reached forward to Fraser and started unbuckling his Sam Browne. Ray watched in disbelief as Fraser let his sister basically undress him in the foyer. He didn't know what bothered him more. Seeing Fraser let his sister do it, or watching his sister's fingers deftly undo all of the leather and buttons on his belt and serge without faltering. It was obvious that she had done it enough to be an expert at it. She helped him shrugged it all off as they continued talking. "They're like sandals only there's less of them." "Oh." "Do you have sunglasses?" "Yes." "What about a hat?" Fraser's eyes looked over at his stetson and she chuckled. "No Benton, you're not wearing that on the beach either." "Why not?" "Just trust me."

She hung his belt and serge up next to his coat. "Do you have a baseball cap or anything like that?" "Yes, I have..." Ray finished his sentence in a whiny voice. "An R.C.M.P. baseball cap." Fraser was beginning to look irritated. "Yes I do have one of those, but if you would have let me finish what I was going to say you would have found out that I also have a Maple Leafs cap." Ray rolled his eyes. "Don't you have anything normal?" "Normal? I guess if I owned a Bulls hat I would be normal." Ray grinned. "Yeah, you would." Francesca moved to stand between the two of them. She didn't like the way Ray was teasing Fraser. "That's enough Ray." She grabbed Fraser's hand and lead him in to the kitchen to help prepare dinner. 

 

They managed to make it through preparing the dinner without any more snide comments from Ray. Francesca stood next to Fraser the entire time and talked about how much fun they would have in Florida. The conversation carried over into the diningroom as well. She named off places they could go look at, things there would be to do. She smiled at him and repeatedly reached a hand under the table to touch him on the inside of his thigh. When she reached further up to grasp his crotch, he smiled, pushed her hand away and leaned into her, whispering heatedly.

"Stop doing that. You know we can't do anything." Her answer was to rub at him once more. He sat perfectly still for a moment, enjoying the feel of her caress, but as he felt himself beginning to tighten he began to blush. *I can't believe I'm letting her do this. It goes against our agreement.* Talking a calming breath, he slowly reached his hand over and grabbed her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers, effectively halting her ministrations. He sat still again trying to regain his composure. Fraser glanced at Francesca, who smiled slightly at him as she ran her thumb gently over the back of his hand. He smiled back, giving her hand a light squeeze. Ray stopped a forkful of pork roast halfway to his mouth and regarded the pair. Narrowing his eyes he noticed the way they were sitting at the table. Close. A little too close to be decent.

"What are you two doin?" Francesca and Fraser looked over at Ray. Francesca squeezed Fraser's hand. "Nothing Ray." "Then get your hands out from under the table." "We're holding hands Ray, what's the big deal?" Ray set his fork down with a clatter. "I'll tell you what the big deal is Frannie..." "Raymondo." Ray cringed at the sound of his mothers voice." "Yes Ma?" "Leave them alone. They are doing nothing wrong." "Yes Ma." Francesca smiled at Ray and squeezed Fraser's hand again. Ray picked his fork up and began to jab angrily at his roast. Francesca's smile grew bigger as she saw her mother staring at Ray.

"Raymondo." He placed his fork back down, his voice defeated. "Yes Ma?" "Why are you so angry?" Ray looked at Francesca's smiling face and then at Fraser's nervous one. As he looked down the table he saw Maria shaking her head slightly in warning. He sighed. "I'm not angry Ma, I just had a bad day." "Is there something you would like to talk about then? To make your day better?" "No Ma, I'll be fine." "If you change your mind, then talk to me." "Thanks Ma." Ray looked at Maria who mouthed the word liar at him. She smiled as she ate her food. Ray looked back at Fraser and Francesca. Francesca was busy eating, a contented look on her face, but Fraser poked at his food listlessly, looking slightly unhappy.

Ray sighed again. "So Benny, you gonna go to the party Thursday?" Fraser looked up at him, unsure as to what Ray was doing. Was this a verbal trap of some type to get back at him for his mothers admonishments? "No, I don't have to attend, being that you are escorting the Inspector." "You mean she lets you off the hook if I go with her?" "Yes Ray. Constable Turnbull can handle all of the other duties." "Oh. I thought maybe you would want to take Frannie out. You know, have dinner, dance a little. It would be nice if you two got to go out one more time before you get married. If Frannie and you have a kid right away, she won't be able to fit into any of her clothes to go dancing ya know."

Francesca gave Ray a dirty look. "Oh, so you think I'm gonna blimp out the moment I get pregnant?" Ray smiled. "Hey, look at cousin Leah. She's the size of the Riv now." Francesca gestured down at Maria. "Maria's not fat and she has three kids Ray. It's all how you take care of yourself and I don't plan on getting fat!" "Well Maria doesn't go out dancing and I know you like to. Ever since she had her kids, she doesn't dance at all. So how are ya gonna dance when you look like a party balloon? He won't be wanting to take a pregnant lady to a ball ya know." Ray gestured at Fraser and laughed. Fraser set his fork down. "Ray, I don't think it would matter if Francesca were pregnant, I would ask her to attend a function if I were allowed to bring her."

Maria hadn't said a word after Ray pointed out that she never went dancing anymore. Their voices faded as she sat looking down at her plate. Ray was right. Ever since she and Tony were married, she hadn't been out dancing. She remembered a time when they would go dancing every weekend. But the moment their first child arrived it all came to a halt. No dancing and no trips out by themselves. Movies or dinner were an event with the five of them always crowded together. What had she done since they were married, besides clean and cook and take care of the family? Nothing. Balling her napkin up she placed it on her plate. She stood up. "Excuse me." The moment she stood the entire table went silent. Ray watched his sister leave the room. "*Uh oh. What now?* 

 

Before Ray could stand, Francesca got up. "Could I be excused Ma?" "Yes you may." "Thank you." She hurried off after Maria. Ray glanced at Fraser who was giving him a questioning look. He could only shrug his shoulders. He had no idea why his sister had gotten upset enough to leave the table. They had argued about things worse than this and she had never left. Ray and Fraser both looked down the table at Tony. He apparently didn't think it was anything to worry about because he was scooping a second helping of mashed potatoes onto his plate. 

 

Francesca went upstairs and found Maria in her bedroom, sitting in a chair by the window. She knocked lightly on the door frame. Her sister's tired voice answered her. "What do you want Frannie?" Walking up behind her, Francesca hugged Maria. "What do I want? I want to know what's wrong, that's what. You never leave the table." Maria sighed, her voice sad. "Frannie I'm tired of it." "Tired of what?" "Housework, dishes, kids...Tony." Francesca pulled away from Maria and walked around to the wall to face her.

The shock in her voice was unmistakable. "You mean you want a divorce?" Maria snorted. "I don't know what I want. I just know I'm tired of watching you and Benton do things. Even Ray is going out. When was the last time Tony and I did anything? When has he even bothered to ask me how I feel?" Francesca bit her lip. Tony never did anything as far as she could tell. He kind of wandered around the house and disappeared to do things with friends of his. "Well...you all went to the movies..." "No! I'm not taking about me and the kids. When was the last time Tony took 'me' dancing? I'll tell you! Before the kids were born."

Maria wiped a hand across her forehead. "I just want to do something other than this." She grabbed a half made quilt lying on the floor and shook it. "There has to be to life than this." She angrily tossed the quilt down on the floor. "If Tony doesn't wake up, I'm going to ask Ma if I can get a divorce." Francesca smiled. "You're gonna 'ask' her?" "Oh don't be such a jerk Frannie. Tony doesn't beat me or anything. Hell, Ma let Pop slap her around and she never divorced him. She's going to tell me to give him a second chance." "Well maybe you should." Maria looked up at her in surprise.

"Have you ever talked to Tony about how you feel? Hum? How is he going to know anything unless you tell him? He is kinda dense." Francesca cringed inwardly. *I'm one to talk. I haven't told Benton about Tom yet.* Pushing her own problems aside, she continued talking to Maria. "You need to go downstairs, grab Tony and bring him up here. You two need to have a long talk about everything." Maria laughed. "Oh yeah...Tony you're a lazy uncaring bastard and I want you to shape up. That will solve everything." Francesca grinned. "You know what I mean." Maria smiled back at her. "Yes I do. I just might try it. Don't be surprised if you hear me yelling later." "I won't." Maria stood and hugged Francesca. "Thanks." "Anytime." 

 

Later as Francesca and Fraser cuddled on the sofa there was the sound of Maria's muffled shouting from upstairs. Francesca snickered and hugged Fraser. "I guess Maria and Tony are havin their little 'talk' now." "What talk Frannie." She looked back at Ray in his recliner. "Maria is havin a chat with Tony about how things are gonna change around here." A big smile split Ray's face. "You're kiddin?!" "Nope." Ray started laughing as he settled happily back in his chair. "It's about time." Fraser looked down at Francesca and talked in a low voice. "What does Ray mean, it's about time?" "It means that Tony is gonna get a job and start doin his part around here." "Ah."

They sat on the sofa relaxing as they watched the television. It was a Bulls game as usual. *I am sooo bored.* She looked up at Fraser. His eyes were closed, his breathing light. Leaning into him, Francesca began to slowly nibble at his neck, trailing small kisses up to his ear. She whispered to him as she rubbed a hand over his chest in a lazy circle. "Benton...let's forget about the bet." Gently biting at the flesh on his neck, she licked a slow path on his jugular. She smiled as the heartbeat under her hand increased. "I can stay over and we can make love all night." She felt Fraser shift away from her.

Sighing, she sat up and crossed her arms, mumbling under her breath. "This is getting dumber by the day." Fraser stood up. "I'm going home." Francesca jumped up and grabbed his arm. "What do you mean you're going home?" Ray yelled over at them. "What is with you two? Can't you see I'm tryin to watch the game?" Francesca waved him off. Fraser on the other hand, pulled away from Francesca and began to walk out of the room. "Goodnight Ray." "You're really leaving? It's kinda early." "I have some things that need to be done at the house." Ray nodded his head in understanding. "O.K., I'll pick ya up in the morning."

Francesca followed Fraser into the foyer. "You lied to Ray." "No I didn't. I do have work to do at the house." "It can wait ya know." She walked up to him and ran her hand up his arm. "Please drop the bet." Chuckling, Fraser backed away from her. "I thought you said it wouldn't bother you?" She glared at him. "So it bothers me!" Fraser smiled. "Good." "Good?! What do you mean good?" "Goodnight Francesca." He turned to leave, but she grabbed him again. "Oh no you don't. You said we can still kiss. I want my goodnight kiss." "One kiss." "Whatever!"

Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she pulled him down and kissed him. He began to move away from her, but she only tighten her hold on him. Working her tongue between his lips, she smiled inwardly as he opened his mouth to her. Deepening the kiss, she pressed her body against him, feeling his arms slowly wrap around her. Once she was certain that he was totally involved in their little kiss...she shoved him roughly away from her. The look of surprise on his face gave her a sense of satisfaction.

"Goodnight Benton." He backed up and stumbled against the door. She smiled at him. "Are you sure you don't want to forget the bet?" He grinned back. "Francesca, you are relentless." "So...you're horny." Laughing, Fraser opened the door and stepped out. "You are too. Even Steven." As the door clicked shut, she ran up to it and yanked it open. Fraser had jogged out to the end of the sidewalk, well out of her reach. Stepping out onto the porch she wrapped her arms around herself. It was freezing outside. "Benton Fraser, you are ignorant!" Fraser tipped his stetson. "Thank you kindly." He smiled at her once more before turning and walking away from the house.

She stood watching him until he disappeared down the road. Walking back into the house, she briskly rubbed at her arms, trying to warm up. She grinned as Diefenbaker bounced down the stairs. "You're late. He just left." Diefenbaker ran to the door and whined. "Oh, when he doesn't ask for you, you want to go home with him. Is that how it works?" Dief whined again. "O.K., I'll let you go. I wouldn't want you gettin in trouble again." She ran her fingers through his fur and opened the door. Diefenbaker jumped off the porch and tore off down the road. Laughing at the sight, Francesca closed the door and locked it.

As soon as Francesca walked back into the den and settled on the sofa, Ray started in on her. "Ya know you need to take that shit upstairs from now on." She grinned evilly at him. "Oh, now you're sayin it's O.K. for us to have sex?" Maria walked in and they both stopped talking. They watched her as she sat down on a chair. Maria saw the two sets of eyes staring at her. She knew they wanted the dirt about what she was yelling at Tony, but she had other matters to discuss. Like Ray and Thatcher.

Maria smiled at Ray, who fidgeted in his recliner. When Maria smiled like that, it usually meant trouble for him. "So Ray, did you ask her out?" Francesca's eyebrows rose and she turned to look back at Ray, a smile making it's way across her face again. "You're gonna ask Thatcher out on a real date? Just you two?" Ray looked from one sister to the other. He felt like a small sardine swimming in a tank with two hungry sharks.

"Yeah I asked her out, but it's still not gonna be a date...kinda. I'm gonna escort her to the consular party on Thursday." Francesca smiled brightly. "Does Benton know you're going?" "No, I haven't told him yet. I think Meg's gonna tell him. He won't have to go to this event either if he doesn't want to." She snorted. "Do you need any Lucky13's?" Ray's mouth dropped open. "No! No...God, you're a pig!" Maria snickered. "I don't know Ray. It's better to be safe than sorry. Can you picture how bad Frannie and Benton would tease you if you got Thatcher pregnant?"

Ray glared at them. "You two are sick! That's not even funny. We hardly know each other!" Francesca grinned lewdly. "If you had sex you would get to really know her well." "God!" Ray slammed the foot rest of the recliner down and stood up. "I don't even know why I bother to talk to you either of you!" He stomped out of the den and up the stairs, the sound of his bedroom door slamming reverberated throughout the house. Francesca looked at Maria and they both burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oh my God! Maria did you see his face?!" Maria just shook her head in agreement as she wiped tears from her cheeks. As they slowly calmed down Francesca grinned again. "How much do you want to bet they do it Thursday night?" Maria smiled. "You think Ray will be smart enough to use some type of protection? I mean you never know who Thatcher's been with." Francesca's smile faded. "Yeah...I still think she and Benton did it." "What makes you say that?" "I don't know. Just the way she still looks at him. Like she wants him really bad."

Maria smiled gently. "You don't have anything to worry about Frannie. Benton doesn't lie. Plus I've seen that look before. It's the look of longing for something you 'haven't' had." "Yeah? And what makes you so certain about that?" "That's the same look you always had on your face a few months ago." Francesca smiled again. "You mean I looked like that?" "Uh huh. Believe me...Thatcher hasn't even gotten past first base with him." "Good."

The two sisters settled in their seats as Francesca grabbed the remote and channel surfed. She stopped when she came to an old romantic movie. "So Maria, what did you say to Tony?" "Nothing much. Just what you and I talked about earlier." "Yeah?" Francesca turned around on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath her. "How'd it go?" Maria smiled. "He going to the unemployment office tomorrow." Francesca's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" "Yes...really. And I need you to do me a big favor." "Like what?" "Can you maybe watch the kids Thursday night? Tony and I are going out to dinner."

Francesca's smile grew bigger. "Get out! You're going to dinner? That's great!" "I know. I think things will be different from now on. He had no idea. You were right. Tony is dense beyond words. He practically begged me to forgive him. I guess he does still love me." "That's really nice. I'm happy for you." "Well, can you watch the kids for me or not?" "Sure. Benton can help me since Ray is gonna be out 'courting' Thatcher." The two sisters giggled happily. As Francesca sat back on the sofa, her mind began racing. No Maria and Tony, no Ray and Ma would be at bingo. Once the kids were put to bed she and Fraser could sit on the sofa together. Alone. *Now how in the hell am I gonna get him to forget about the bet?* She smiled as she hugged a pillow tightly to her chest. She had the perfect thing! 

 

As Fraser slid into the front seat of the Riv, he gave a tired sigh. He had another restless night thanks to Francesca. *If anything the house will be ready for when she moves in.* Setting his stetson on the dash, he rubbed his fingers across his eyes. "You all right Benny?" "What? Oh, I'm sorry Ray. I didn't sleep very well." "Again?" "Yes." "Ya know you should go see a doctor." Fraser started to laugh, but quickly smothered it as Ray gave him a curious glance. When he could talk without laughing he turned to Ray with a blank expression.

"I'm fine Ray. I'm just having a bit of trouble falling asleep these past few nights." "Well, if you keep havin trouble 'fallin asleep', then you'll go see a doctor." "Ray..." "Don't Ray me! I'm serious. If you're marrying my sister, I have the right to see that she doesn't end up with some guy who's gonna up and die on her." "Now you're being ridiculous Ray." "Promise me you'll go see a doctor if you still have trouble sleepin." Fraser nodded his head yes as he turned to look out the passenger side window. It was all he could do to not smile at Ray and tell him exactly why he couldn't sleep. 

 

Ray dropped him off at the consulate and he went directly to his small cramped office. As usual a huge pile of boring and tedious forms awaited him. Normally it didn't bother him, but the longer he stood over his desk looking at the paperwork, the more irritated he grew. He hadn't graduated at the top of his class to fill out forms and push papers. *I should be home. I should be doing what I was trained to do, not this.* Resisting the urge to sweep the reports into the trash, he turned and left his office.

His boot heals clicked on the hardwood floor as he walked down the empty hall. Pulling a chair out, he sat in front of a computer terminal. His fingers flew over the keys. After letting his eyes run over the screen, he let out a disappointed sigh. Every city that was open for a transfer was due south of Canada. And every single one of them was a consulate posting. 'Constable Fraser!" His head snapped up. Thatcher stood over the desk looking down at him and by the way she was staring at him, she had been there for some time. *Oh dear.* "Is there something wrong Constable?"

He nervously fingered the keyboard before him. It wouldn't do to have her see what he was looking at. "No Sir, nothing's wrong. I was just doing some research." She gave him a questioning look and crossed her arms. "What are you 'researching'?" He put on his best innocent Mountie look, hoping she would take the hint and leave him alone. But he knew it wasn't in her nature. She was relentless when it came to anything in the building. Personal or not, it was her business. "It's of a personal nature." "May I see what it is?" He bit the inside of his lip. "I would prefer that you didn't...Sir."

Her eyes narrowed as she dropped her arms and walked around the desk to stand behind him. She leaned over his shoulder to get a better look at the screen. He closed his eyes and swallowed. She would 'not' be pleased at what she saw. She slowly stood up and looked down at his guilty expression. Her tone was curt. "Have I done something to make you want a transfer?" "No Sir, it's..." He took a deep breath. *Into the fire.* "I feel that my position here is not what I was trained for."

She smiled thinly. "Neither one of us belongs here Fraser, but by certain...circumstances, we have found ourselves in these positions." "I know, but some days I find my duties here restrictive beyond words." Her expression softened slightly. "And you want to go home." "Yes Sir." She sighed. "So do I. I miss Toronto as much as you miss the Territories." *Hell, I miss it more!* She rested her hand briefly on Fraser's shoulder in a comforting gesture before quickly pulling her hand back. Touching her junior officer was definitely prohibited. Especially now that he was to be married. "We make do with what we have until things change. Hopefully we may get to go home soon." She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him. "Though I don't think you'll ever transfer out."

He looked at her in surprise. "Why do you say that?" She recrossed her arms and her smile grew wistful. "You have roots here Fraser and they grow deeper by the day. Before you get too homesick for Canada, think of how you would feel if you left your new family behind." With that statement, she turned away from him and walked back to her office. He looked at the computer again and keyed in new information. A website for the Inivut R.C.M.P. detachment popped up. He stared blankly at the images for a few minutes.

Thatcher was right. He had mired himself in Chicago. His life now meshed easily with the Vecchio family. He was one of them and the thought of giving all of that up...he didn't know if he could do it. Closing the computer down, he walked back to his office. The same pile of boring reports were still on his desk. No assignment to track down a criminal awaited him. With a resigned sigh, he sat down and began the monotonous task of completing the forms. 

 

The day passed quickly and once again Fraser found himself sitting on the sofa with Francesca. He leaned back and pulled her tightly against him, kissing the top of her head. She in turn snuggled against him, tracing her fingers in a lazy path over his chest. She kept her voice low as she spoke to him. "Did you know that Ray is gonna escort Thatcher this Thursday?" She could feel his body shake as he laughed silently. "Yes, I found out this afternoon." "Want to bet they do it?" "Francesca, they hardly know each other." He paused for a second and when he continued speaking his tone held a hint of mischief in it. "She'll wait for a few more dates." "You're bad Benton. That's why I love you." Leaning down he kissed her. "I love you too."

Running her hands through his hair and then behind his neck, she pulled him down for another soft kiss, touching her tongue against his as he opened his mouth to her. She felt a small chill run down her spine as he slowly pushed her down on the sofa, his hand lightly caressing the side of a breast. Apparently he had forgotten about the other night already. She knew that at any moment someone could walk in on them, but she didn't care and by the way he was acting, it was obvious that his mind was occupied solely on her.

They stretched out on the sofa, side by side as they continued kissing and then she found herself beneath him. His weight pressed down on her, but as usual he held himself off of her so he didn't crush her beneath him. Knowing that she was pushing it, Francesca slowly moved her legs so that he was laying between them. She gripped her fingers into his lower back, hearing him moan as he pressed his groin against hers. Slipping her hands into his jeans, she began to knead the flesh of his ass.

At her touch on his skin, he quickly pulled away from her and rolled off to sit at the end of the sofa away from her. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths trying to calm himself down. "Benton, you know you want me." He stared at her, his breathing still rapid, his eyes dark. "Benton...let's go up to my room and fuck each others brains out." He stood, shaking his head no. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him an irritated look. "Sit down!" He lowered his voice as he leaned over her. "I'm sorry, I can't stay."

She reached up and clasped her arms around his neck, pulling him roughly to her for another kiss. He pulled her off of the sofa into a crushing embrace and then she found herself pressed back up against the wall. *This is more like it.* She loved it when he lost control of himself. She knew she by the way he was acting like this in the den of all places, that it was a clear indicator that he had totally lost it. There was no way he would refuse her advances this time. His kisses were hot and deep, his hands ran behind her back to pull her against him again. Trailing a hand down the front of his chest, she gently worked her way downward to softly caress the crotch of his jeans, pleased to find an erection straining against her touch.

Her moment of satisfaction soon disappeared as Fraser frantically pushed away from her, stumbling backwards. "What is wrong with you?!" His breathing was ragged as he continued backing away from her. "Oh come on Benton! Enough is enough!" Shaking his head no, he ran out of the room. "Arrrggh!" Francesca yelled out in frustration and ran after him. He was pulling his coat on as she came into the foyer. He stopped like a deer in headlights when he saw her approach him, then his fingers shakily began to zip his coat. His eyes never left hers as she advanced on him like a wolf stalking a rabbit.

She kept her voice low and sultry. "Let's forget about the bet. I can go home with you. How would you like me to lick you all over? Slowly...taking my time." He froze again and then snatched his stetson off of the small table by the door and jammed it on his head. He whipped around and fumbled at the knob as he tried to open the door. It was locked. Francesca came up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Benton, let me come home with you. We can look at a few chapters of a certain book together." He jiggled at the door knob as he spoke to her in a pleading tone. "Francesca please...stop this...we can't." She pressed her small frame against his back. "But I want to Benton. I want to make love to you. Who cares if Ray doesn't think we can control ourselves?"

She felt the heat from his body and the rapid beating of his heart. She also heard the want and longing in his voice, but it was tinged with embarrassment. "I care Francesca. I'm not some...animal." She snickered. "You could've fooled me." He twisted around in her hold and the look in his eyes brought her teasing to a halt. "Francesca, I don't want Ray to see me as a pig. That's Gino." "What?! Don't be ridiculous, you're nothing like him!" "But you're always calling him a pig and that's what Ray is calling me. It's either a pig or a rabbit. He's constantly saying I have no control over myself and he's right. I have to do this Francesca. 'We' need to do this."

With a defeated sigh, she hugged him, feeling him stiffen in her hold. "Don't worry Benton, I'm not gonna molest you." She felt him slowly relax, his breathing evened out and his heartbeat slowed down. He finally hugged her back and whispered in her ear. "Thank you for being so understanding." She released him and he took a step back, giving her a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow after work?" "Yes. Go on home before I change my mind." He gave her another smile and then frowned as he looked around the foyer. "Where's Diefenbaker?"

With a grin she pointed up the stairs. "He did go home with you last night, that should count for something." He dropped his head. "That wolf is spoiled." "So." "Francesca..." "Benton..." She grinned at him and he turned back to the door. He twisted the knob and sighed. Reaching around him, she calmly unlocked the door. "Night Benton." Leaning down he gave her a quick kiss and opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Goodnight Francesca." As she had for the past few nights, she watched him walk away from the house. Sighing, she closed the door and headed up to her bedroom. 

 

As she snuggled under the covers she gave a guilty look at a picture of Fraser that was stuck to the mirror of her dresser. She knew by the way he was acting, that he hadn't done anything for the past few days. He was already getting touchy and she could see that he was horny as hell. A slight smile came over her features. It was all because of her that he was so wound up. He wanted her and he wanted her bad! Closing her eyes she began to think of his kisses and the way he had pressed against her on the sofa. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at her bedroom door that was slightly ajar. No one would bother her. Maria was already in bed.

She began to pleasure herself, letting her hands run over her smooth skin, touching the center of herself lightly and then with more force. She felt the stab of guilt again as she looked at Fraser's photo. *This isn't sex. Who's he kidding.* Letting her fingers work against her nub, fingers sliding into her warmth, she manipulated her flesh, feeling herself tense. Each stroke and rub brought her closer to that wonderful feeling of release. As her orgasm fluttered over her, she arched her back, pressing her hands against herself. She panted lightly as she lay back on her bed, letting herself relax.

Throwing the comforter back she got out of bed. She peeked out into the hallway, saw that it was empty, so she silently crept down the hall to the bathroom. After going to the bathroom and washing up, she went back to her room. Grabbing the small photo of Fraser from the mirror, she kissed it and then placed it back. Curling into a tight ball, she snuggled into the cool sheets and fell asleep. 

 

The next day came and went. Fraser stopped by after work, but he left immediately after dinner. As she settled back on the sofa by herself, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it. She felt alone without him by her side. Ray wandered into the den and flopped in his recliner, grabbing the remote he began to channel surf. Once he found a program he liked he looked over at Francesca. "Why'd Benny go home so early?" "He has some things to do at the house." Ray snorted. "You ain't kiddin. The last time I was over there the place was a mess."

Francesca smiled. The word mess and Fraser didn't go together. He liked his life neat and orderly. Glancing over at Ray, her smile widened. "Do you want Maria or me to wait up for you tomorrow?" "No." "Do you have any condoms?" "Knock it off Frannie!" "I'm serious Ray. You could get her pregnant or she could give you a disease." "Ya know you are disgusting! She's clean!" Francesca laughed at him. "Oh please! What does being clean have to do with having VD? You can't tell by how a person looks ya know." Ray shot her a dirty look.

Francesca narrowed her eyes at him and spoke in a tight voice. "Do you remember Monica from the 25th? She was clean, but that didn't stop her from dying from AIDS did it?" Ray's eyes widened, but his expression quickly turned to one of disgust. "How in the hell would you know about Mo? You're pretty ignorant to go and start saying shit like that about her." Francesca waved him off. "You are so stupid Ray. Everyone knows that she didn't die from cancer. She had AIDS Ray. From having unprotected sex." "Yeah? And how did you learn this? From one of your stupid little gossips with the other clerks?"

"Her sister told me. I was talkin to her last year about sex and she kinda made a point about my using condoms all the time. She was really pushy about it Ray and when I laughed about using them she freaked out on me. I thought she was gonna hit me, she was so pissed. When she finally calmed down, she told me about Monica." Ray leaned back in the recliner obviously shaken by her statements. "I liked Mo, she was nice. It's a damn shame." "I know Ray, that's why I want you to be careful. Monica wasn't careful and now she's gone."

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll go pick some up and keep them with me. I don't plan on usin them, but I'll get some. O.K.?" Francesca smiled. "Good. But you don't have to go and buy any. I have a bunch upstairs that you could use." Ray turned away from her and began channel surfing. "Ray? I said you could use some of mine." He ignored her. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you won't use them just because they're mine?" Ray snapped at her. "I don't use the same size, is that O.K. with you?!" *I can't believe I just said that to her!* She smirked at him. "Oh come on Ray. He's not 'that' big." He yelled back at her. "Well I'm not 'that' big either!"

He punched the buttons on the remote and cringed when he heard her snide reply. "Sorry!" He looked over and glared at her again. "Sorry?! What's that supposed to mean?" She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry I offered you the condoms, not I'm sorry your thing isn't as big as Benton's. O.K.? Geez you guys are touchy about your size." "Oh yeah! How'd you like it if I compared your breast size to Meg's? She has a nice set and all you have is pancakes!" He ducked as she flung a pillow at him. "My breasts are just fine! Ask Benton, he'll tell you!" "Pancakes Frannie! You have pancakes!"

She jumped off of the sofa and hit Ray in the head with another pillow. "Go to hell!" She stalked out of the den, leaving Ray to settle back in his recliner. He fumed for a few minutes. "Big deal. So I'm not as big as Benny. I mean I'm average, there's nothing wrong with that. Hell, I'm a bit bigger than average." He smiled and settled back down to channel surfing, but his conscious nagged at him, causing him to frown as he worried. *But will Meg like average?* 

 

Francesca drug Fraser out of the den and into the foyer. "Francesca, why do we have to wait here? Ray would have gone into the den before he left." She smiled and looked up the stairs. "No he wouldn't. He's afraid I'm gonna tease him about tonight." "Francesca, please don't." "Why not? He's my brother. I can tease him all I want."

Ray whistled happily as he skipped down the steps, but he stopped in his tracks as he saw Fraser and Francesca standing in the foyer at the foot of the stairs. *Aw geez!* They grinned up at him as he resumed coming down the stairs, this time walking. He ignored them and went to the closet and pulled his coat on. He gave them a cautious look. "What do you guys want?"

Fraser smiled. "Nothing Ray. We just wanted to see you off." Fraser nudged Francesca from behind. "Uh..yeah, right. We just wanted to see how you looked." Ray gave them a wary glance. "Really?" She grinned and crossed her arms. "No, but Benton said I should be nice to you, so I am." She paused for a second. "So, did you get the condoms?" "Francesca!" She looked over her shoulder at Fraser's look of disapproval. "Well, I told Ray, he should get some just in case."

Ray stormed over to the door and glared back at them. Francesca was laughing and Fraser looked a little peeved at her, but Ray could see the laughter in his eyes. *That's it!* "Ya know, just because the two of you act like animals doesn't mean that Meg and I have to. You're a pig Benny!" Ray yanked the door open and slammed it on his way out. Francesca continued laughing. "Boy is he pissed!"

Turning to face Fraser, her laughter faded as she saw Fraser's face. He looked like he had been slapped. "Oh come on Benton, you're not gonna let Ray get to you like that are you?" He shook his head. "He is right. I'm glad we're doing this Francesca and I'm happy you're finally controlling your impulses as well." She stared dumbly at him as he led her back to the sofa in the den. They snuggled up together and Fraser found an old movie for them to watch.

All her plans for the evening went straight down the toilet. *It's all because of Ray and his big mouth.* She had spent the better half of the afternoon formulating her plan. She and Benton would send the kids off to bed and Ray would leave. Then she would excuse herself to use the bathroom, where she would change. Returning to the den wearing the black leather negligee that she had worn to his apartment. She knew he wouldn't be able to refuse her if she wore that.

She had figured out that Fraser had a thing for leather. Whenever he helped her take her leather jacket off, she would catch him bringing the coat up to his face. He would rub it against his cheek, inhaling the scent of it. She had put two and two together. Anytime she wore her short leather skirt, they usually ended up making wild passionate love. He had more fetishes than she had ever expected and she reaped the benefits from the knowledge of them. And the color red! Anything red meant hot sex. Sometimes kinky, other times rough. The red thigh high stockings and the long red silk gloves would have to wait for their honeymoon now.

She felt him hug her and she looked up to see him smiling. Because she had held back and didn't make any attempts to seduce him, he was relaxed. The other nights when she had tried getting him to break down, he had been as tense as a spring. Giving him a smile in return, she cuddled against him as he slouched further down on the sofa and pulled her into his warm embrace. His head rested against hers and he gave a sigh of contentment.

She would be patient...at least for tonight. She wouldn't make any promises to herself that she knew she couldn't keep. He didn't even know that she was mentally undressing him. Seeing naked tight thighs and a thick erect penis in the place of jeans clad legs. The stomach beneath her hand was all skin, not flannel. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, letting out a ragged breath. "Is something wrong Francesca?" She looked into his eyes, seeing love and trust. "No, I'm just a little tired." He moved them so that they lay side by side on the sofa, gently rubbing her back with his hands, "Is this better? You can take a nap if you would like." "Thanks Benton." She sighed as her body throbbed and ached with her want for him. *This sucks.* 

 

Ray pulled the Riv into a reserved spot behind the consulate and parked next to Thatcher's Nissan Maxima. It was a small, black glossy car with a tan leather interior. He frowned as he walked by the car. It was like her. A fancy import and he was like the Riv. A beat up old classic. He smiled smugly as he walked up the stairs and into the building. Yeah, he was like the Riv. He may not have a sleek exterior, but he had the strong well built internal structure just like the Riv. He had a great engine.

His smug attitude faded as he walked into the noisy ballroom. Turnbull was taking coats and furs from the guests, greeting them all politely, flashing his patented blinding white Mountie smile. He wore the red serge dress uniform with the white gloves and every thing about him screamed out education and class. He shook his head in annoyance. What was it about their perfect manners and perfect faces? Fraser, Thatcher and Turnbull all looked like models for an ad from an expensive hair salon, while everyone at the twenty-seventh looked like they belonged in a no smoking ad.

He caught Thatcher's eye as he walked further into the room. She wore a shimmering emerald green silk dress. He smiled as he recognized the designer. Versace. *This woman has great taste.* He watched her as she excused herself from her guest and glided across the polished floor to greet him. She was looking him over from head to foot and Ray was pleased to see approval in her eyes. *Eat your heart out Benny!*

She stood in front of him and smiled again. Her face was so different when she smiled. Gone was the tough commanding officer he had seen these past few years. In her place stood a dazzling woman dressed in green, who oozed a beauty and confidence that he had rarely had the privilege of seeing. And this beautiful woman wanted to spend her time with him.

"You look lovely Meg. Versace, right?" She nodded her head yes, the emerald earrings that she wore sparkled. She smiled at him again. "And I see you couldn't resist your Armani. That's new isn't it? I've never seen you wear that before. You look very handsome in that color." Ray felt a warm glow go through him. She did notice him. If she knew he never wore this suit, that meant she had looked at him before. He fingered the dark gray lapel as he spoke to her.

"Yeah, it's new. I couldn't come back here wearing something old. Especially when the lady I'm escorting is so fashionably dressed." She gave him a teasing smile and looped her arm through his and began walking him around the room, introducing him to the various dignitaries. Some of them remembered him from the dinner he had attended and greeted him warmly. He was calm and relaxed as he chatted with the people they stopped to talk to. *Man I need to brush up on my international events if I'm gonna keep comin to these things.*

The night passed too quickly as far as Ray was concerned. He ate dinner, sitting next to Thatcher. They talked about everything and everything. The more they talked the more they both realized how much they had in common. Thatcher grew quiet and looked at him almost shyly. "Ray, have you ever been to Toronto?" "Just once. I went there on a quick trip with Benny. We were on a case so I never really got to do anything while I was there." Thatcher hesitated and then spoke quickly. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me there...on a trip one weekend."

Ray stared at her in surprise. *She's askin me to go on a trip with her? For the weekend?* His response came out smoothly, surprising himself that he didn't end up stammering like a fool. "I can't think of anything nicer than to spend some time with you in Toronto." He couldn't believe that Thatcher was nervous. Nervous about asking 'him' out. Like he would ever say no to her. With a start he realized what he had just thought. A few months ago he would have laughed in her face, spitting out some smart mouthed retort. Now he was looking forward to spending any time with her. *Man...things sure do change.* 

 

After dinner all the guests filtered back into the ballroom. There was a string quartet playing in a corner of the room. People paired off and headed for the large dance floor. *This is it. This is your chance to get close to her without makin it look like you're some horny bastard.* Thatcher came to stand beside him. Ray watched the dancers float by in a swirl of color and fabric. He stood for a few minutes while he worked up the courage to ask her to dance with him. *Here goes nothing.*

Turning to Meg, he smiled and waved an arm dramatically towards the dance floor. "Meg, would you care to dance?" A warm smile lit up her face. "I would be delighted." *Delighted?* Pushing back his nervousness, he took her hand and they entered the maze of dancers. They were only out on the floor for a few minutes and the music changed in tempo to something slower, more romantic. Neither one of them made a move to leave.

Drifting closer, she rested her head lightly on his shoulder. Ray's eyes rose in surprise. *Her smell! This is what Benny was talkin about!* Ray breathed deeply as he moved his face to her hair. She smelled like some type of perfume, but Fraser had said that Thatcher didn't wear perfume. *Jesus, she smells good.* He involuntarily pulled her tighter against him.

Her body was trim and lean. Warm and soft. She was a contradiction. His mind began to wander. What would she feel like laying beneath him? Would she be shy in bed or like an animal? And those breasts of hers. Those big beautiful mounds. He could picture himself nuzzling his face against them, gently sucking a nipple. The thought of him cupping them in his hands, feeling their weight, made him shiver.

His head snapped up and Thatcher slowly brought her head off of his shoulder to look at him. She was biting her lower lip, trying not to laugh. Leaning in closer, she whispered to him. "Excuse me Detective, but did you bring your duty weapon with you tonight?" He could feel his face growing hot as waves of lust and embarrassment washed over him. He whispered back to her. "I am so sorry..." To his amazement she smiled at him and nodded towards a side door. "Follow my lead."

She danced them over to the door where she released him and ushered him quickly into a small office. As she shut the door, Ray heard the lock click. Turning back to him, she crossed her arms and nodded down at the bulge in his dress pants. "Does dancing always excite you?" "Um...not normally. I think it's just you." *Oh boy. That was really smooth you asshole.* Thatcher grinned lewdly at him. "Oh really?" Ray swallowed nervously as she moved toward him.

She stopped only inches from him, her lips a hairbreadth away from his own. He jumped as she cupped him with a hand, then she began to softly stroke him through his pants. Her eyes stared into his, a teasing smile was on her full red lips. "Oh geez..." The bigger his erection grew, the tighter she grasped him. *Oh what the hell!* Ray grabbed her around the waist and pulled Thatcher roughly against him, capturing her mouth in a kiss. He was instantly rewarded with her shoving her tongue into his mouth. He greedily sucked at it like a parched man finally drinking water. She was all fire and passion burning against him.

Forgetting his embarrassment, forgetting who he was with and where they were, he grabbed the material of her dress and hiked it up so that he could clutch her firm ass. The hand that had been rubbing his erection, now locked itself around his neck, her kisses taking his breath away. Grinding against her, Ray pushed Thatcher towards the desk. The small part of his mind that was still coherent couldn't believe what he was doing. His entire body screamed at that part to piss off.

With each kiss, he grew bolder. She didn't protest when he moved his warm palms into her underwear and pulled the silk material down. He bit back a moan when she unbuttoned his pants and shoved a hand into his briefs. Manicure finger nails worked magic over his hardened flesh, the need to cry out overwhelmed him. Bringing one of his hands around, he slid it between her legs. Fingers met with hot moist flesh, wet and slippery, begging him to fill it. Hearing her small moan as he pushed a finger into her was too much for his control.

Pushing away from Thatcher who looked at him in shock, he reached out and twisted her around, bending her over the desk. Grabbing the material of her dress, he flung it over her back and pulled his pants and briefs down to his knees. Rubbing his erection against her ass, he leaned over her back and breathed heavily into her ear. "Do you want this Meg?" She twisted her upper body around to look at him. Her dark eyes matched the wicked smile on her face. "What do you think?"

He reached into his jacket pocket and drew out his wallet. Unfolding it, he pulled out a Lucky13 and tossed the wallet to the floor. Ripping the foil packet open, he rolled the condom on, thanking his pain in ass sister for nagging him to buy the damn things. When he pressed back against her, she leaned further over the desk, opening her legs invitingly. "Oh yeah." As he entered her heat, Ray leaned over her back again and kissed a bare shoulder. "Jesus, Meg you feel so good." Moving almost completely out of her, he was surprised when she backed against him, forcing him into her. A low throaty chuckle erupted from her throat. "You feel pretty good yourself, Detective."

As he began to slowly thrust into her, Ray pulled her up so that she was almost standing. He had to touch them. He dreamed about them night and day. He clutched her breasts, feeling the hardened nipples against his fingers. Pinching them slightly, he began to thrust heavily into her. It had been some time since he had been with a woman, much less a woman he cared for and he wanted this to last...but she was so hot...she was so damn good. "Oh sweat Jesus." With each slide into her firm opening, his balls tightened. "I can't hold off...I'm sorry..." He felt himself cuming inside her in long delicious spurts. Each thrust made him feel as if he would explode.

He jerked at his completion, but there was no way in hell he was going to ruin this by pulling out before she came as well. Grasping her by the shoulders, he pushed her back over the desk and thrust into her repeatedly, hearing her choked voice cry out. "Yes Ray!" She tucked her head down as muffled moans erupted from lips. "Harder Ray...yes...harder!" Her tone was commanding. "You want it harder baby? Like this?" He couldn't believe how rough he was getting, but it felt good and she wanted it, so who was he to complain? He could feel himself growing harder within her.

His body slapped against her ass as he rammed himself into her. She let out a loud groan as she clenched tightly around him. The feeling of her convulsing around his already sensitive organ sent Ray over the edge and he felt himself cum once more. "Oh geez Meg...you're so fucking good." She pressed back against him, her breathing heavy. Resting her head on her arms, she laughed. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Standing up, he pulled out of her. As he removed the condom, he grimaced in distaste. He had always hated using the things. Tossing it in a trash can by the desk, he began to tuck himself back and pull his pants up. He watched as Thatcher stood and smoothly pulled her underwear back in place. She looked feral and graceful, her face still flushed, her eyes sparkled. He saw her hands run down the fabric of the silk material, remembering how they felt on his skin. Looking back at her he smiled. "You are one beautiful woman."

Moving over to him, she straightened his tie. "We need to get back to the dance and entertain our guests." He shook his head and smiled as he took her hand in his. Taking a deep breath he reached for the door knob, but paused. "Do I look O.K.? I don't look like..." "Like you just made love in a side office? You look fine Ray. No one will know, trust me. They won't even be paying attention to us." "Really?" "Really. They're all too busy eating and dancing to even notice that we have been absent." "Cool." Opening the door they stepped back onto the floor and resumed their dance. 

 

As the evening went on, Francesca began to grow restless. All her plans for a passion filled night were squashed like a bug under foot. What irritated her the most was that Fraser was hers and she couldn't even have sex with him. All because of their asinine bet. Just as she was about to yell at him for being a total jackass about the whole thing, he tightened his hold on her. Looking at him, she saw that he was smiling. She couldn't help it. She smiled back.

"What are you so happy about?" He kissed the top of her head and hugged her again. "I'm happy because I have you." *Shit.* She now felt guilty. Here she was ready to tear into him and he had to go and say something sweet to her. With a defeated sigh she leaned against him and rested her head back on his chest.

After a few minutes of sitting still, she let her mind wander. *There has to be a way to get him to change his mind without it looking too obvious.* With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she extricated herself from his embrace and crawled up into his lap. He gave her a wary look. He knew her too well. She was up to something, but what it was...he didn't know. Fraser decided taking the direct route in his questioning would be best.

"What are you doing Francesca?" "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm sitting in your lap. I just felt like being held." She gave him what she thought would be the cutest innocent smile she could ever muster. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. She felt him relax as she rested her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes of holding her like this, he began to softly stroke her back as he began to hum a tune. She found herself relaxing as well and smiled sleepily as she recognized the old lullaby. All thoughts of seductions slowly seeped away. As she listened to him, she closed her eyes and thought about their future together. How he would be humming this same tune to their children.

"Benton, have you thought about names for our kids?" He stopped humming, but continued to rub her back for a few seconds before he let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I have." Francesca's sleepy state was immediately wiped out by this bit of information. She excitedly sat up and grinned. "You have?! What names have you picked?" "I only have a few in mind." She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lightly shook him. "Spit it out Benton. What are they?" He smiled at her exuberance. "Robert for a boy and Caroline for a girl." "After your mom and dad." "Yes." She watched him get a faraway look in his eyes. She knew he was thinking of them.

"Well...I've picked a few names too." Fraser brought himself back from his thoughts of the past and gave his full attention to Francesca. His Mum and Dad were gone and nothing was ever going to bring them back. He didn't want to think about them any longer. "What names have you picked?" "I like the name Paul for a boy and Ramona for a girl." He squinted his eyes, trying to think of why she would choose those names. "Paul?" Francesca ran a hand self-consciously through her hair and looked away from him as she spoke.

"Well...you know the actor who plays Ben in the 'Our Mountain' series?" "Ah." She turned to Fraser and gave him a hard stare. "And what's 'that' supposed to mean?" "I knew that you had thought that the actor was nice looking, but I had never expected that you would want to name our child after him." "So sue me! His name kinda grew on me." "And the name Ramona?" Fraser gave her a teasing smile. "Well...you know the actress..." Fraser snickered. "What?" "Yes Francesca, I know who you are referring too. She plays the character that has a crush on Ben, but he doesn't love her. He loves the character named Analise."

Francesca grew excited. "You remember the show?" Fraser's voice was dry. "How could I not. I have watched that movie with you three times." "Well guess what buster? If it's on again you'll watch it with me a fourth time." She gently pinched him. "What other names do you like?" Fraser smiled. "I was thinking that maybe we called use Raymond as a middle name, if it's a boy." "You want to saddle 'our' kid with 'his' name? What's the matter with you?" "Francesca...Raymond is not a bad name. It really doesn't matter. It would be more like an honor bestowed on Ray to name our child after him. Ray is the closest thing to a brother that I have ever had."

He stared at her with those clear blue eyes of his. The Mountie look. "I hate it when you do this." "Do what Francesca?" She pushed him on the shoulder. "Oh all right! If we have a boy, his middle name will be...Raymond. But there is no way in hell we'll call him that. If there's going to be a little Ray, then he'll have to get Thatcher pregnant for that." "Francesca..." "I'm serious Benton." She pursed her lips. "Besides...I like the name Daniel better. It has more character." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she watched Fraser's face turn pale.

"Benton, is something the matter?" He swallowed once, looking like he was about to throw up. "Benton...are you O.K.?" Nodding his head yes, he leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes. "I guess that's not a good name is it?" He didn't answer her. "Benton..." He opened his eyes and gave her a tired look. "Please Francesca. I would prefer not to talk about it." "But..." "Don't tell me I need to talk about this either. I don't want to and I'm not going to. Do you understand me?" She was taken aback by the tone of his voice. It was cold and distant. He was hiding something from her again. He hid so much of himself. She didn't like it one bit.

"All right. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. If you change your mind, I'm here for you." His expression softened and he pulled her against his chest and gave her a hug. "I know." They sat in silence watching the rest of the movie, but neither one was paying attention to the old black and white film as it flickered across the screen. Francesca tried to think of what it was that upset Fraser so much. It was just a name. And Fraser...he was thinking of the past once more. And all that he had lost. 

**********

Standing next to Thatcher, Ray felt sometime he hadn't felt in along time. Contentment. He was happy and relaxed. He knew that it wasn't love, it was way too early for that. It was Thatcher's companionship and the interests that they shared that made him feel so happy. He was surprised to find that any amount of time he spent with her was enjoyable. She wasn't anything like he had ever thought she would be. Flirtatious, sexy, intelligent and more importantly she shared his same thoughts on life. She too had placed her career before love and had suffered for it. Here was a woman who knew what it was like to work hard and not be ashamed to admit it.

He stood next to her shaking hands and talking to 'their' guests as they left the consulate. He felt like he was a king saying good night to his subjects. No one treated him like Ray Vecchio, the detective. They treated him like they treated Thatcher. With respect and courtesy. He could easily get use to this if given half the chance.

He caught Thatcher's eye, watching her face light up with a coy smile. He knew what she was thinking and it was all he could do to not burst out laughing. She had been right. No one had missed them when they had disappeared earlier in the evening. Well, one visitor from Austria did, but he had thought that she had taken Ray into the side office to confer on an important subject. The man had actually thought that he, Ray Vecchio, was a somebody. No wonder Thatcher loved this part of her job so much.

The line of guests continued to file past them. Ray tried to picture how Fraser would appear standing next to Thatcher. He frowned at the thought. Fraser would have looked the part of the king, him with his perfect looks and gentile manners. The dress uniform, anything for that matter, always looked on him, like it was tailored made. Fraser wore clothing well and he had no idea how freaking good he looked. If he was aware of the fact, he didn't care. Fraser would stand there and try and not notice the way Thatcher's legs looked or how her hair gleamed in the light. He would be the perfect little constable.

Ray felt the familiar pang of jealousy well up inside of him. Fraser with Thatcher. Fraser kissing her on the train, locked in a passionate embrace. He knew all about it. Thatcher had told him. But she had also said that she and Fraser had never fucked each others brains out during a consular event. She didn't deny wanting him, but she had never acted on how she had felt. And according to Fraser, neither did he. But it still nagged at his guts. The idea of Fraser ever having her, the way that he did tonight. It pissed him off. The more he pictured Fraser laying on top of Thatcher having what he had...Ray took a deep breath.

*Relax Vecchio...they never did a thing. She's yours.* This time he surprised himself. *She's mine? Where in the hell did that come from? I do 'not' love her. Benny doesn't know shit. You don't have to love someone to have a good relationship.* He stole another side ways glance, watching the way her eyes sparkled in the light. Coffee brown, with flecks of gold shooting through them. He couldn't deny that he was one lucky bastard that she had actually wanted to be with him. But why him? Why not Fraser? There wasn't any real law saying that she and Fraser couldn't be a couple. Why didn't she want to take the chance and be with Fraser?

He tried thinking of what Thatcher and Fraser would actually be like as a couple. Thatcher with her mercurial temper, outgoing attitude and her dedication to her career. She was city bred and raised and loved every shop and cafe that could be found. Then he thought about Fraser. Calm, introspective, family oriented. God, ever since he had gotten to know Fraser, he knew that the guy wanted a family. He needed it. And he was a country boy. Fraser would rather be out in the back yard digging around in the flower garden or hiking in the woods, than go shopping. Fraser and Thatcher were opposites. The only thing they shared was their place of work.

Ray smiled brightly. He had finally narrowed it all down to one thing and he wanted to go up to Fraser and yell it in his face. He and Thatcher had never been in love. They just happened to be two horny ass bastards who worked so closely together that the sexual tension between the two of them had become exquisitely painful. They didn't want a union of souls, they wanted down and dirty, hot and steamy sex. Chuckling to himself, Ray watched as Thatcher looked at him curiously. She had a teasing smile on her lips as well. He felt the green tendrils of jealousy loosen their hold on him. Fraser and Thatcher's attraction to each other was nothing more than sexual.

Now him and her...that was another thing. They liked expensive clothing, good food, going out to the coffee shops. She liked to dance and talk about police matters and topics. Guns...she loved guns. He couldn't wait to take her to the shooting range on Saturday. When he had suggested they got target shooting, he would have thought that he had given her diamond earrings. She could rattle off the names and types of weapons like an expert. And after talking to her a little about the subject, he found that she was. She hadn't had a chance to shoot in some time and was looking forward to their 'date'. Where else was he ever going to find a woman like this? It may not be love, but damn...he had to admit that she was the best thing to happen to him in along time. 

 

Fraser could hear her cry out to him, pleading for help. He couldn't do anything for her, except watch her slowly bleed to death. He knelt motionless by her side as she took her last breath. With a jerk, Fraser woke up, his heart pounding in his chest. Wiping a hand across his face, he found tears. He hadn't had a dream like this one in years.

Wrapping his arms tightly around Francesca, he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. He had to forget the past if he was to move on with his life. They were all dead. Dead and buried under the cold frozen earth of the Territories. He briefly thought of Victoria. Once his only reason for living, she had come back into his life to tear his soul apart. She too was dead and buried. Everyone who he had ever loved was gone.

Looking down at Francesca's peaceful face, he had to wonder...was he wrong to try and make a life with her? Was it wrong to forget everyone and have a family with her? His answer was in Francesca's eyes as she slowly opened them. A sleepily smile spread across those luscious lips of hers. Reaching a hand up, she placed it on his cheek, letting her fingers gently caress his face. He could see it in her eyes. She loved him. He knew she did.

Leaning down he kissed her, savoring the feel of warm lips against his own, breathing in her life's breath, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She was alive, she was here in his arms and she loved him. Pulling back, he smiled at her. This was right. Being with Francesca was right. It was time for him to live again.

Francesca gave Fraser another smile. "What Benton?" He returned her smile. "Have I told you how much I love you?" Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew him down to her. "You told me this morning, but I love hearing you tell me all the time." She kissed him and with each kiss and touch of her hands, he felt the fears from the past slowly fade.

Threading his fingers through her dark silken hair, he returned her kiss with one of his own. It was stronger, more insistent as he tried to convey his feelings for her through the kiss. Her small moan made his blood quicken in his veins. The heat in his body grew as did the pressure in his groin. He wanted her. He needed to be with her now. It would be so easy to lay her back on the sofa, remove her clothing and make love to her.

Giving Francesca one final kiss, Fraser pulled slightly away and hugged her small frame to him, resting his chin on her shoulder. Her frustrated sigh was loud. "Benton...why are we doing this again?" He sighed as well. "We are doing this because we are not animals. We can control ourselves...be civilized." Francesca snickered as she nibbled lightly on one of his ears, trailing small kisses down his neck. "I'd rather be an animal."

Pushing her gently away, he calmly looked at the small feisty woman sitting on his lap. Taking a thumb, he gently ran it over her pouty lower lip. "Eight days Francesca. In eight days we can be animals. Anything you want, I will give you then." She gave him a seductive glance. "Anything I want? Where I want it?" Nodding his head slowly yes, she rewarded Fraser with a big smile. "Eight days then."

He continued staring into her eyes, feeling his pulse quicken. Her weight pressing down on certain regions of his body didn't help matter and seeing her looking at him with that hungry gaze of hers wasn't the easiest thing to resist. "I should go Francesca." "Oh come on Benton...stay the night...please." "I can hardly control myself now. I know I won't be able to if I stay." She grinned teasingly. "Then stay."

Chuckling, Fraser lifted Francesca off of his lap and set her down next to him on the sofa. "I have to go. Ray will more than likely be out late and it appears that your sister and Tony are making a night of it as well." She reached out and grabbed his wrist, grinning as she saw the time. "It's past eleven! Benton, Maria and Tony haven't been out this late in years!" She hugged Fraser excitedly. "This is great! Ya know, I bet Maria is having a great time. She really deserves this."

Taking Francesca by the hand, Fraser stood and pulled her up. Walking out of the den and into the foyer, they paused as Fraser shrugged on his coat. The lock jiggled and then the door was flung open. Tony and Maria walked in, looking pretty chummy as far as Francesca was concerned. Maria wildly waved an arm and laughed as she greeted them.

"Hi guys!" She stumbled forward and drew a wide-eyed look from Fraser. Francesca burst out laughing. "You're drunk Maria!" Her tipsy sister giggled. "Yes, I am! Isn't it great?! Opps...sorry Benton. Not so great for you...you puked your guts all over the place." Maria began to giggle uncontrollably as she looked Fraser over, mumbling the words 'white boxers and water...yum yum'.

Tony shrugged his shoulders and gave them an embarrassed grin. "We had a good time." Francesca smiled back at Tony. "That's kinda obvious." Tony took Maria's hand and began to slowly direct her towards the stairs. She walked up them, with Tony holding on to her waist. Just as they reached the top, she turned around and pointed down at Fraser.

"You an Frannie didn't hump on the sofa again did ya?" "Honey!" Tony admonished her, looking more embarrassed by the minute and when she flung her arms around his neck his embarrassment double as she yelled. "Let's go and do it, Tony!" "Oh boy...good night you two. Thanks for watchin the kids." Francesca grinned. "Any time Tony." Maria snickered. "Aren't they the best, Tony? Night Frannie! G'night cutie!" Tony shook his head and grabbed Maria by the shoulders and pushed her down the hall.

Francesca turned and looked at Fraser's red face. "Cutie huh? I'll agree with that." Giving him a quick kiss, she handed Fraser his stetson. "I'll see you tomorrow...cutie." He tucked his head down and turned to leave. She grabbed him by the shoulder. "Benton?" Looking back at her, Fraser smiled. He was still embarrassed, that was obvious, but he wasn't upset. Francesca smiled back at him, relieved to see that he was finally learning to take the teasings that her family gave him. "Good night Francesca." He gave her a quick kiss and was out the door before she could say another word.

Watching Fraser walk away from the house, she close the door as he disappeared down the street. Locking it, she skipped through the foyer as she looked up the stairway. Her sister was finally happy. Ray was happy. She was happy. Things couldn't be better in her life. Going back to the den, Francesca flopped on the sofa. She hugged a pillow and grinned. The only thing she had to wait for now to make the evening complete, was Ray coming home and her tormenting the hell out of him.


	5. Chapters 101 to 125

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited from Red Suits You. Will edit at a later date.

Ray and Thatcher looked awkwardly at each other as they stood next to their cars. The consulate was empty and they were the last ones to leave.

"Ya' know, I had a really good time tonight."

Thatcher arched an eyebrow at him, while a smile quirked at the corners of her mouth.

"No! No...I mean..."

When she laughed, he realized that she was teasing him.

"You are not nice Meg."

"Oh really? You thought I was pretty 'nice' at...dancing."

"Yeah, I got to admit you're a pretty good...dancer."

There was another awkward pause as Ray shoved his hands in his pants pockets, absently jingling his keys.

"Ya' know, I'd ask you to come over and stay, but the house is kinda' full of people."

"Yes, I do know your situation."

"Yeah."

"I would like to ask you to drop by my place, but..."

She let her voice trail off and Ray smiled.

"But you don't want Benny to think you and I are 'dancing' after hours."

She frowned.

"Constable Fraser has nothing to do with it. The time frame would not be appropriate."

Ray shook his head. She wouldn't admit Fraser was the reason and he wasn't going to start an argument after such a nice evening with her.

"Ya' know, I really don't think Benny or anyone else would be bothered by it. The only reason why he and Frannie didn't do anything at first was because of my Ma."

Ray flinched as he thought of what his mother had said to him. He wasn't supposed to 'mambo' with Thatcher if he had no intentions of marrying her.

*Hell, who cares. Ya' don't have to marry every woman you have sex with.*

"He and your sister made an agreement with your mother concerning their sexual habits?"

Her disbelief was obvious.

"No not the two of them. Frannie promised Ma, she would get to know him before they did anything and Frannie told Benny and he kinda' listens to everything Ma tells him."

Ray smiled.

"Everyone listens to what Ma says or they're in trouble. And ya' don't want to mess with my Ma."

"Then how do you explain Fraser and your sister..."

She made a weak gesture with her hands.

"Huh?"

"They have sex. Your mother apparently feels that your sister knows Fraser well enough to have premarital sex?"

"Well...it's not really that. She likes Benny. A lot. He gets away with all sorts of crap with her. You know...'cause he's so innocent."

Thatcher snorted.

"He's not as innocent as he looks."

"Really? And how would you know that?"

"You have a dirty mind Ray. I was not referring to sex. Fraser knows a lot more about the things that go on around him than he lets on. He sees and hears everything. People assume that he's stupid and naive. He is far from any of those things. I work with him and I've seen all of his files."

"Yeah, he's smart, I'll give him that, but he can be clueless sometimes."

Thatcher smiled thinly at Ray.

"If I were you, I would never underestimate him. Trust me on this."

Ray gave her a questioning look, but before he could say anything she stepped forward.

"I won't have time to see you tomorrow. I have a multitude of tasks that require my attention. Are we still on for our outing on Saturday?"

"Our outing? I thought it was a date."

Thatcher's face lit up with a smile.

"A date sounds more like we're teenagers. So I guess this means you're still available?"

"Hey, I'm always available for you."

*God, you are such a dopehead. You sound like a teenager.*

"Good. I prefer it that way."

She moved even closer and took his hands out of his pants pockets. Wrapping them around her waist, she reached up and gave Ray a soft kiss.

"I'll see you Saturday?"

"You bet you will."

He wasn't about to let Thatcher go without letting her know how much he looked forward to see her again. As their kiss intensified, he slowly backed her up so that she was pressed against the door of the Riv. He felt her hands softly run over his head, lightly touching his buzzed hair. There was something erotic in the way she did it, that immediately sent his heart racing. By the time they broke off the kiss, Ray was blushing with embarrassment and Thatcher grinned at him as she looked down between them. Ray tried to back away, but she held him tightly to her.

"It's a shame to let that go to waste, but I'm not about to do anything here in the parking lot."

"I am so sorry."

"No, don't be. At least I know you're attracted to me."

"That's an understatement."

She gave him a quick kiss and released her hold on him. He reluctantly backed away, placing his hands in front of himself.

"I'll see you Saturday."

"Fine. I'll pick you up at one. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes. Good night Ray."

She waved her fingers at him as she got into her car. Ray got into the Riv and looked out his window to see Thatcher watching him, her face had an impish grin on it. Shaking his head, he waved back at her. He waited for Thatcher to pull out of the parking lot and he followed her until his turn off came. Flashing his head lights at her, he saw Thatcher's brake lights tap in reply. A grin spread over his face. Reaching out, he turned the radio on and began singing with the song. He hadn't been this happy in some time. And the best part of it all was this was just the start of things with him and Thatcher. 

**********

Ray turned the engine off and the Riv coasted into the driveway. As he applied the brake, he shook his head and laughed. Here he was, a thirty-five year old man, sneaking into his own home. And why was he doing it? Because he knew his best friend and his sister lay in wait for him. He couldn't face Fraser. He knew the Canadian with his razor sharp eyes and keen sense of intuition would know. Frannie might guess that he did it with Thatcher, but Fraser...he would know for sure.

How he was going to sneak inside the house without Fraser hearing him was another problem. The bastard had the hearing of a freaking dog. Making as little noise as possible, Ray crept out of the Riv and walked around the side of the house. With a little luck, the two love birds would be fast asleep on the sofa. He stopped in his tracks. With his kind of luck, he would more than likely find them on the sofa having sex.

Standing in the cold night air, Ray weighed his options. Go in the house and get caught or peek in the den window to see Fraser's pale ass staring back at him. It wasn't much of a choice. He decided that he'd rather see them going at it, than get grilled by them on his evening with Thatcher.

Craning his neck to peer inside the house, he slowly opened his eyes.

*I can 'not' believe this!*

All he saw was Francesca curled up alone on the sofa. The television was the only illumination in the room.

*Yes!*

Dancing a little jig, Ray hurried around to the front door. If Fraser had been with Francesca, his only option to get to his room was him climbing up the rose trellis by his window. He hadn't done that in years and the thought of doing it now terrified him. How would he explain what he was doing if he had gotten caught doing that of all things? Taking out his keys, he quietly let himself into the house. The foyer was dark and silent. The only sound to be heard was the television in the den.

He was about to tip toe up the stairs, when he decided to take a peek into the den. Looking in the room, it was definitely empty save for his little sister. His little sister Frannie. She wasn't so little any more. She was thirty-two, divorced and soon to be married again. Walking slowly to the sofa, he looked down at her slight figure curled up. A wistful smile came to Ray's face as he remembered how small she had been as a child. She had always been the smallest in every class.

The teachers would say that she was cute as a button. Until she opened her mouth or when they figured out who her big brother was. His wistful smile turned into a full blown grin. She may have been a tiny thing, but she had always been feisty. Francesca never backed down from anyone or anything. What she lacked in size, she more than made up for it with her biting tongue and sharp wit.

She had been the only kid in school that had ever had the balls to fight Zuko. She hadn't cared if he was a mob bosses son or that he was older than she was. When she kicked him in his nuts for slapping her, he fell like a ton of bricks to the ground. As he cried, Ray remembered watching her spit on him and call Zuko every name in the book. It would have been funny if it had been anyone else, but Ray remembered being terrified. All he could picture was his entire family being wiped out for what she did. Instead, Zuko's dad had beaten the snot out of him for slapping a little girl. It was one of the bright moments in an otherwise miserable school year for Ray when that happened.

Memories of seeing Francesca crying her eyes out in her bedroom also came to him, causing Ray's smile to fade. Once she had reached the dating age, she had blossomed a little too quickly. And she flaunted it by wearing clothing that was too flashy for someone her age. She was labeled trash by the other girls who were jealous of her developing body and she was label easy by the boys who wanted to make a reputation for themselves. He knew from Maria that Frannie was a virgin until she was sixteen. Her junior year in high school resulted in her using her unwanted reputation to get what she wanted. The cutest boys, the most popular boys. But she had wanted only one boy. Anthony Rizuto.

She had held out for him, never giving herself away, until finally she got him to go out with her. It only lasted a few months. She wound up being heartbroken when the boy she had wanted so badly only wanted her for sex. Once he got that from her, he dumped Francesca like a hot potato. Her rumored reputation only increased after that. Anthony had a big mouth. The bad part was she decided if she was going to be labeled easy, she might as well reap the benefits from that reputation.

Her period of being a floosie only lasted a few months, but it stayed with her the rest of her time in high school and it even followed her beyond that. She stopped 'playing the field' when she hooked up with Gino. He didn't want Francesca for sex. He wanted all of her, period. She was his and his alone. His owned her and it was quickly spread around the school that she was 'his' property. If any other guy even looked at her, they ended up underneath the bleachers beaten half to death. It stayed that way all through their senior year.

As soon as they graduated, Francesca married the bum. He was her entire world and she was blind to Ray's objections. He had warned her repeatedly. Gino wasn't in love with her, he was a user. Hell, if Pop approved of him, then the jerk had to be a total loser, but she had only ended up screaming at Ray, telling him he didn't know anything. She married Gino and spent years being miserable. Taking his repeated abuse until she finally left the bastard and came home.

Reaching a hand down, Ray lightly brushed the hair back from her face. Yeah, she was still his baby sister, even if she refused to stop growing up. At his touch, Francesca's eyes fluttered open. She looked slightly confused at first. What was Ray doing in her room and where was Fraser? Sitting up, she rubbed at her eyes and yawned. Her brain finally registered what was going on and where she was. She gave Ray a wicked smile.

"So did you and Thatcher do it?"

"Aw geez! Come on Frannie! Why do ya hafta' ruin everything?"

"Did you or didn't you have your way with her?"

Ray gave Francesca a look of disgust and walked out of the den. He could hear her light footsteps follow him into the foyer.

"You did it, didn't ya? Where'd ya' do it? In her office? On her desk?"

Ray ignored her questions and trudged up the stairs.

"I know you did it Ray. You and Thatcher had hot, dirty sex at the consulate!"

Ray snapped. Yeah he and Thatcher had some really good sex, but he wasn't about to let his sister know that. It was none of her freaking business what he did. Turning around, he glared down at her.

"Yeah we did it! I fucked her on Fraser's desk and she said I was almost as good as he was!"

*Crap!*

Francesca's stood perfectly still. Her teasing smile disappeared and her face turned pale. Ray felt the guilt wrap itself around him like a steel band.

"I'm sorry Frannie. I didn't mean to say that."

She ran up the stairs and shoved past him.

"Frannie wait!"

Running to catch her, Ray reached her bedroom, only to have the door slam in his face. Taking a deep breath, he jiggled the door knob.

"Frannie, I'm sorry. Open the door."

"Go away! I hate you!"

He closed his eyes and leaned against the door.

*You fucked this one up.*

"Frannie, open the door. I didn't mean any of that. You know Benny never did anything with Meg."

Silence met his ears.

"How do you think I feel, huh? You talkin' about her like she's some kinda' whore."

More silence.

He didn't want to spend all night standing in the hall.

"Frannie, if you don't open the door, I'll tell Ma that you and Benny did it on the sofa."

No reaction.

*Time to bring out the big guns.*

"If you don't open the door 'now', I'll tell Ma, you thought you were pregnant."

With a triumphant grin, he heard her footsteps pad over to the door. It flung open and Francesca's livid face stared back at him.

"I...hate...you! Leave me alone."

She went to shut the door again, but Ray foolishly stuck his foot out to block it. His scream of pain echoed in the hallway as she slammed it with all her might.

"Jesus Christ!"

Shoving the door back open, Ray grabbed at his foot and fell to the mauve carpeted floor. Francesca stood above him, with crossed arms and a smile.

"That's what you get for being such an asshole, Ray."

He glared up at her.

"You didn't have to crush my foot!"

"Yeah? Well, you deserve it!"

Her eyes darkened and she pointed down at him as she yelled.

"How do you think I feel knowing that Fraser's been lying to me all this time?!"

Ray lay on his back, looking at her in confusion.

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Ray. You just admitted that Thatcher screwed him. In his office! He said he never did anything with her and now you tell me this shit?!"

Ray lay back and rubbed at his foot and laughed humorously.

"You are so stupid! Benny never did anything with her!"

"Then why in the hell did you say he did?!"

"Francesca!"

Both heads snapped up to look at a very unhappy Ma Vecchio staring at them from the doorway. Ray gave his mother a sheepish look.

"Hi Ma."

She frowned down at him.

"What is going on here? You are on the floor screaming and you..."

She gestured at Francesca.

"...you are screaming obscenities in my home. I will hear no more of it."

"But Ma..."

"No more Francesca."

Mrs. Vecchio crossed her arms and looked disapprovingly down at Ray.

"Raymondo, explain yourself. Why are you in Francesca's room at this hours and why are you on the floor screaming?"

He looked at her scowling face and then at the floor.

"Uh...I'd rather not say Ma."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise as did her anger. She turned her scowl to Francesca.

"Then you explain this."

Ray quickly looked up at Francesca with a pleading expression, begging her to keep silent. She glared down at Ray, but when she looked back at her mother her reply was what Ray wished for.

"Ray came into my room because he wanted to tell me about his date. I didn't know it was him and I kicked him in the leg. I was cursing at him because he scared me."

*Thank you, God for letting Frannie be a quick liar.*

Ray held his breath as his mother regarded them both with narrowed eyes.

"I will have no more of this 'scaring'. You should show respect to the rest of the household. No more cursing, no more yelling. Do you understand me?"

Both Francesca and Ray said pathetic yes Ma's and she walked away from them mumbling under her breath in Italian.

The moment Ray heard his mother's door shut he relaxed.

"Thanks Frannie."

She ignored him and began to get her pajamas out.

"Aw come on Frannie. I only said it to get back at you for being ignorant. I don't like it when you talk about Meg that way."

She gave him an icy stare.

"And I don't like it when you sit there and lie to me."

"Look..."

Ray stood up and shook his foot out.

"I can only say I'm sorry so many times. Meg never had sex with Benny. Both of them have said they never did and when have you ever known Benny to lie?"

Francesca pursed her lips.

"He lied about his hickey to Angelo and he lied to you about Victoria."

Ray's face clouded over.

"That's not fair Frannie and you know it. There was a lot more to that than you'll ever know."

She smiled thinly at him.

"I know all of it Ray. Down to the last detail. I know more about her than you ever will."

She turned her back to him.

"Could you please go. I'm tired and I want to go to bed."

"No way. Not until this is settled."

"What's there to settle? You can't tell me one single thing about you and Thatcher and then you have to go and say something like that to me. Something you know would hurt me. What's that? Huh? There's nothing to settle. You don't trust me that's the bottom line."

Ray's face screwed up in confusion once more.

"What are you talking about? I don't trust you?"

"Why can't you just tell me? Why does it have to be such a big secret?"

"Oh look who's talking?! You couldn't even tell me if you and Benny did it that time."

"That's different and you know it. You didn't want us together. Me...I helped Benton get you and Thatcher hooked up. There's a big difference Ray. Either you trust me or you can get the hel...heck out of my room."

Ray looked at Francesca's face. It was set in stone. So she thought it was all about trust. That she couldn't keep a secret. Knowing he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, Ray sighed.

"Okay, we did it. Are you satisfied?"

Her face turned to one of surprise.

"You are kidding me? She let you...after only a second date?"

Her voice squeaked as she talked. She broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Thatcher puts on airs like she's too good and she bangs you after your second date? Wait until Benton hears this. He thought she would at least wait for a few more."

Ray's mouth dropped open.

"You will 'not' tell him!"

Francesca smiled.

"Oh yes I will. I'm marrying him and I tell him everything Ray. No secrets. Besides...he'll take one look at you both and know."

"Ya' know..."

Ray wiped a hand across his face.

"I give up. Don't you two have anything better to do than to talk about me and Meg?"

"Nope."

She smiled again.

"So was she any good or was she miss prim and proper?"

A vision of Thatcher bent over the desk with her legs spread invitingly flashed through his mind.

"It's none of your business. I told you enough as it is."

Francesca's smile grew bigger.

"I bet she's kinky like Benton. I bet you ten dollars, the next time you do it, she want you to do something really weird."

Ray sighed again.

"Good night Frannie."

He moved to leave the room and stopped with his hand on the door knob.

"You are not to tell Maria or anyone..."

Francesca arched her eyebrow at him.

"...that includes Benny. Do you understand?"

"Sure Ray, whatever you say. Benton will know, I won't have to tell him."

She gave him a bright smile as he closed the door. He walked down the hall to the bathroom. Hopefully there would be some type of antacid, because his stomach was now churning. He still had to face Fraser and with all of his teasing, he knew that he was about to get some of it thrown back at him. 

**********

To Ray's delight and amazement, he never had to endure any teasing from Fraser the next day. Thatcher wasn't the only Canadian tied up at the consulate all day and half the night. Francesca moped around the house, complaining how Thatcher took advantage of Fraser, while Ray lay in his recliner happily flicking back and forth between two basketball games. It had been a nice, quite Friday evening as far as he was concerned.

As he rushed around his bedroom, pulling on a pair of sneakers, he looked at his watch. *Crap!* Stumbling slightly, he rushed out into the hall and took the steps two at a time. Fraser was supposed to meet Francesca at nine to go shopping for clothes for the trip to Florida. Ray chuckled as he ran into the kitchen. The idea of Fraser getting stuck with his sister clothes shopping was enough to make him want to go with them. But the prospect of getting teased by them both...no way.

Frantically scanned the room for something to eat, he began to panic. *Forget it. You don't have enough time. Hell! Go to a diner or something.* Running out of the kitchen, he slid to a stop in the foyer. Francesca stood in front of the door with her arms crossed. "And where do you think 'you're' going so early?" "I have a date, if it's any of your business." "Not until one you don't." "How'd you...you listened to my call?!" Francesca snorted. "No. I would never stoop so low as to pick the phone up and listen to you and Meg cooing at each other." She smiled as Ray flinched. He had talked to Thatcher for over fifteen minutes and all they did was suck up to each other.

"Look who's talkin! 'Oh Benton, I love you soooo much.'" Ray imitated Francesca in a high pitch voice. She in turn mimicked Ray's deeper tone, adding a hip thrust for an added touch. "Hey Meg baby, who's your daddy?!" Ray made a disgusted face at her. "You are such a bitch! You have room to talk." "I'm not the one who did it on the second date. At least 'we' waited a few months before we did anything."

"Yeah...well the only reason you waited, was because you promised Ma. If not you would have been all over him the first night you went out." "Ya know, just because I made a promise, it didn't mean I had to keep it. You're the horny pig Ray, not me." "Whatever! Move so I can go." "Where ya goin?" "I told you I have a date." "I know. At one. It's not even nine yet. I thought maybe you could drop us off at the mall."

Ray looked at Francesca like she had a screw loose. "What's wrong with your car? Do I look like your private chauffeur?" "There's nothing wrong with my car. It's just...covered with snow. Yours isn't." "Well that's just too bad, cause I'm not gonna drive you." He pushed past her and opened the door. "Get Benny-poo to clean it off for you. He loooves the snow. Bye!" He rushed out of the house and jumped off the porch. Quickly getting in the Riv, he started the car. Patting the dashboard, he frowned. "Sorry baby, but daddy's in a rush."

Backing the Riv out of the driveway, he could see Fraser and Diefenbaker walking down the road towards the house. They were only a few blocks away. Ray squinted. Was Fraser staring at him? *Oh shit!* He could see Fraser's head cock to the side and from that distance it appeared that he was smiling. *Damn it Frannie! I know you told him!* Without any further hesitation, he sped away from the house, breathing a sigh of relief. He had narrowly escaped Fraser for the time being. As he drove down the street, he wondered what he was going to do for the next four hours. If he went home, they might still be there and he didn't want to face Ma either. He knew she was still mad at him. *I guess breakfast is one way to kill an hour.* 

 

Francesca held Fraser's hand as they walked through the mall. At first she had been irritated at Ray for not dropping them off, but Fraser had readily agreed to clean her car off. Now she was in a great mood. She had been looking forward to this little shopping excursion all week. The idea of making Fraser try on clothes that he wouldn't normally wear had excited her in some bizarre way. She intended on making him, her own private model for the day. With an evil smile, she pulled him into a men's casual shop and headed down one of the isles toward the summer clothing.

"Well Benton, here we are. Start picking out some shorts to try on." Fraser stood perfectly still, letting his eyes roam up and down the racks and displays. He slowly shook his head no. "I don't like any of these." "What?" He looked her squarely in the eye. "I do 'not' like them." She blinked in surprise at his tone. "Geez, ya don't have to go and get snippy with me." He rubbed at the back of his neck and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Francesca. I didn't mean to be so short with you."

She looked him over closely, noticing for the first time that he looked tired. "Are feeling okay?" "Yes...I haven't been sleeping very well lately." "Oh." She stared at him. "Are you sure..." "Francesca, I'm fine." *Cranky.* She looked at the clothes around them and then back at Fraser. "What type of shorts 'will' you wear?" "Do they have any ones like sweat pants or denim?" She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ya know you can't wear blue jeans 'all' your life."

"Francesca, I wear an ungodly hot and itchy uniform the majority of the time. If I want to wear denim and cotton when I'm off duty then that is my choice." She stared back at him. He had just snapped at her again. "Did you eat anything this morning?" This time Fraser gave her an irritated look. "Yes." She turned and walked away from him. "Follow me." She could hear him walking behind her.

"Where are we going now?" "To find you some shorts that you 'will' wear." She could feel his stare on her back as she walked. He was starting to get on her nerves. Only Fraser could ruin a shopping trip by being picky about his clothing. The guy would eat bugs, taste mud and lick boots, but he was picky about what he was going to wear? He was going to ruin her day if he kept refusing to try on the stuff that she wanted to see him in. She stopped walking and turned around quickly, just in time for him to run into her.

"Francesca!" He gave her another irritated look. His second in the past few minutes, but she noticed his red tinged cheeks. A grin crept across her face. "You were looking at my butt, weren't you?" Fraser opened his mouth to deny it, but he caught himself. His blush turned a deeper red. "Yes." Her grin turned into a wide smile. "Uh huh. At least I know you still like what you see." Fraser's head tucked down and he mumbled under his breath. "The problem is I never get to see it."

Francesca's mouth dropped open. She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. "What did you just say?" "Um...nothing. Can we go? I would like to get this done with as soon as possible." "Yeah, I bet you do." She laced her fingers with his and pulled him toward a new store. As they entered 'The Gap', she saw him visibly relax. This was definitely more like it. They came to a cube piled high with denim shorts. Fraser picked up a pair and looked at the price tag. He then set them back down. Francesca rolled her eyes. "What now?"

"Do you know of a store that has these type of shorts, but at a more reasonable price?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Oh let me guess. You want to go to K Mart?" He looked at her in confusion. "What's...K Mart?" "Oh please! Are you for real?" He gave her a hurt look, turned and quickly walked away. "Oh come on Benton!" She ran to catch up to him and grabbed him by the coat sleeve, stopping him out in the mall. "Benton Fraser, what is your problem?!" "I really don't feel that it's necessary for you to talk so sarcastically to me." "Oh come on, can you blame me? Everyone knows what a K Mart is." "Apparently not 'everyone' does, because I do not." "That's because you're from Runamuckluck and they don't have stores there." "Now you're just being silly. 'Tuktoyaktuk has a general store." "Ya know...just forget it. Come on." "Where are we going?" "I should drag your ass back home, but you need to get some clothes for the trip. I'm taking you to your first K Mart."

 

The drive was a short one and she soon had Fraser standing in front of a display of denim shorts. He picked up a pair and looked at the price tag. He showed the cost to Francesca as he spoke. "I can get two pairs of these for the price of one compared to the other store we were in." He fingered the material. "And this is a better quality fabric." She pushed him on the arm. "Just grab a few pairs and try them on."

Fraser picked up two pairs of dark blue shorts. Francesca grabbed a black pair and a faded blue pair and shoved them in his arms. "Francesca, I don't.." "Shut up. Take these and try them on. And I want you to come out and show me what they look like on you." "But..." "No. No buts. I want to see what you look like or we're not going to Florida." He tilted his head slightly and gave her a curious glance. "As you wish."

A few minutes later, Fraser cautiously peeked around the corner of the dressing room entrance. "Francesca." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Come out." "No, you come over here please." "God, you're being difficult today." Walking over to the dressing room, her face split into a wide smile. *Damn he looks good.* She let her eyes trail slowly over his body. "Turn around Benton." "Excuse me?" "Turn around, I want to see your butt." "Francesca..." She made a circular motion with her hand. "Turn around."

Fraser slowly turned his back to her. "Very nice." Her gaze lingered over the ugly scar in the center of his back. It was a constant reminder of 'her' and of all the mistakes that he had made. *Thank God, that bitch is dead.* "May I turn around now?" "Yeah." "Are these acceptable?" "Yeah..." He gave Francesca a worried look. "Is there something wrong?" She looked down at his waist to avoid looking into his eyes. She didn't like what she saw. *What is going on here?*

"Benton, have you been eating right? You look like you've lost some weight." Smoothing the shorts down, he shook his head no. "I haven't lost any weight that I know of. I've been...working out. I've toned up a bit." Francesca shook her head no. "No, you've definitely lost weight. Those shorts are loose around the waist on you." "MaybeÊ the sizing is wrong on these." She marched over to him and unbuttoned the shorts. He grabbed her by the wrists, quickly looking around them. He lowered his voice as he spoke to her. "Francesca, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm checking out the size of the shorts." "I am perfectly capable of getting the correct fitting shorts for myself. Now will you please stop worrying about how much I weigh so that we may continue looking for more clothing." He let go of her wrists and she reluctantly backed away from him. "Fine. Waste away to nothing. When you start getting sick, don't come crying to me about it." "Francesca I am not..." Fraser sighed. "Could we please drop this?" "Sure. Whatever."

As he walked back into the dressing room, she fumed. If he kept losing weight she was going to confront him about it, until he finally admitted that he had a problem. It was ridiculous for a grown man to starve himself for no reason and she wasn't about to have him getting sick. That would ruin their wedding and honeymoon. There was no way in hell she was going to have any of that go wrong. Not when she had waited so long for it to happen. 

 

Francesca made Fraser try on a few more pairs of denim shorts. She grabbed a pair of stone washed ones and she had even attempted to make him try on a red pair. To her surprise he threw them back at her, with a look of disgust clearly written on his face. "Francesca, I think I've tried enough of these on." "Why don't you want to try on these?" She held the red pair out to him with a smile on her face. "What's wrong with red shorts, Benton?" "Nothing is wrong with them. I'm not going to try them on, nor am I going to buy them." "Why not?" He only stared back at her. "God! You're no fun!" "I didn't realize that clothes shopping was supposed to be fun." She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, God give me strength. Just go put your jeans back on. We need to get you some shirts."

Piling the shorts into the cart, she waited for Fraser to come out of the dressing room. She urged him in the direction of the shirts. As they walked toward that section, she saw him eying a rack of henleys. "No, don't even go there. You have enough of those. You need these." She picked up a blue tank top and held it up against his shoulders. Fraser looked down at the skimpy tank top. "It's a blue undershirt Francesca." "No Benton, it's a tank top. I'll bet you a hundred dollars that you're gonna wear these shirts or go topless the entire time we're down there."

Fraser looked at Francesca questioningly. "Why would I want to walk around half unclothed?" A grin flickered across her face. "Do you remember the picnic we had last summer?" He nodded his head yes. It had been hot and oppressively humid that day. If Mrs. Vecchio hadn't drug him into the house and forced him to sit in front of the air conditioner, he would have probably passed out. "O.K. Picture how hot it was and then triple it." His eyebrows shot up. "Really? It will be that bad?" "Maybe worse. You're not use to the weather here, I'd hate to take you down there only to have you die on me. I don't want to be a widow so soon. You'll wear shorts and tank tops half the time. The rest of the time you'll be in your bathing suit. Trust me on this."

Fraser turned to the display and began to carefully pick out several tank tops. Francesca smiled when he hesitated before grabbing one colored a hot pink. She couldn't wait to see him try that one on. He craned his neck over the rack and then walked around it. Following him, Francesca saw the display of cotton shorts. They were like sweat pants, only the material was thinner. He picked up a few dark blue and black pairs. She noticed again that he avoided the red shorts.

When he went back to the dressing room, she again insisted that he show her everything that he tried on. It was more fun than she had in a long time. She could see that he was beginning to get irritated with her. "Can't I just try them on and look for something else?" "Nope. I want to make sure the stuff looks good on you." "But Francesca..." "Nope. I want to see everything on you before you buy it." "But it's taking too long." "What's your hurry? Do you have something else to do?" He sighed and looked away. "No, I don't have anything else planned." "Then quit wasting time crabbing. Try on the pink shirt." "It's not pink, it's..." "OK. it's flaming pink...just try the thing on."

When he came back out, she had to admit that Fraser looked really good in the hot pink tank top. He had on a pair of black cotton shorts as well. He looked like one of those college boys that she used to drool over at the beach. The only thing missing was a nice tan on his pale muscular body. "Don't let me forget to pick up some sun screen for you." Fraser looked down at himself and then back at Francesca. The difference in their coloring wasn't drastic, but it was obvious that she had lain out in the sun before and his body hadn't ever seen the light of day.

She loaded the cart up and then passed a rack with plain white button down short sleeved shirts. "Get a couple of these too." He looked at the measurements on the packages and picked up three of them. "We have to get you a couple pairs of the khaki shorts too." "I really don't like those." "I don't care what you like Benton. You have to have something to wear when we go out to dinner." "What about pants?" "Too hot. Everyone wears shorts." "But..." "Benton. I know what I'm talking about. You're getting shorts and that is that!" She finally got him to try the khakis on and she dropped them into the cart.

Pushing the cart to the back of the store, Francesca stopped in the shoe department. She picked up a pair of black sport flip flops. "Take off your boots and try these on." As he unlaced his boots, she snickered. 'What's so funny Francesca?" "Have you ever gone barefoot before?" "Yes, I walk around in my apartment..." "No, I mean outside." "Oh...not really." She handed him the flip flops and he slipped them on. He sat there flexing his feet back and forth, staring them. "They feel rather comfortable."

"They should feel great after those big shit kickers you wear." "Francesca, my boots are not shi...they are very good boots thank you kindly." "They may be really good boots, but you don't wear big clunky boots on the beach. Not unless you want everyone to stare at you like you're crazy. Besides, the woman are all gonna be giving you the eye anyway." "Why?" "Just get up and walk around in them. See how they feel." He walked up and down the isle a few times. "Do they hurt?" "No." "Do they rub?" "No." "Okay, we'll get those. You need a leather pair too." After picking out a pair of brown leather sandals, she pushed him in the direction of the bathing suits.

"Francesca I have a bathing suit." "You'll need another one. There's nothing worse than sand and salt rubbing you, to make ya miserable." "Rubbing?" She snickered. "That's right. You've never had the pleasure of swimming in the ocean. The sand gets in the crotch of your bathing suits and it irritates the hell out of ya. One time I was so raw, I had to use Angelo's diaper rash medicine."

Fraser frowned at her. "I thought that you said I would enjoy this trip. So far you have me dying from heat exhaustion and now you have me being chafed." "Oh don't you worry Benton Fraser, I'll make sure you have a good time." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and was pleased to see a genuine smile appear on his face. *Geez, all I have to do is talk dirty and he's happy.* With that thought in mind, Francesca began formulating a plan to make her cranky Mountie a happy one. 

 

Grabbing a thong bathing suit, Francesca grinned and held it out to Fraser. "Try this one on." "What is it?" She handed it to him. "It's a bathing suit." "No really. What is it?" "It 'is' a bathing suit." Fraser stretched the skimpy material out and rapidly shook his head no. "I am 'not' trying this on." "Why not?" A slow blush crept it's way across his cheeks. "Francesca...nothing would...I would just..." "Hang out for the whole world to see?" His blush deepened. "Yes." "That's the idea Benton. To show what you have." She leered suggestively at him. "And what you have is mighty good."

He dropped the bathing suit and backed away from the counter. "No. I'm not going to try it on!" "Oh come on. Can't you try it on...just for me?" "No!" She laughed and picked up a pair of swim trunks and tossed them to Fraser. "You're a big chicken, you know that don't you?" His voice was tinged slightly with sarcasm. "Do 'you' have a bathing suit like that?" "Kinda. You'll see it when we go to the beach." Fraser narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'kinda'. Just how small is your bathing suit?"

She crossed her arms and stared back at him. "Don't go getting all possessive on me. It's a two piece bathing suit and it looks fantastic on me. Now go and try that on." "I don't like this one." "O.K. What's wrong with that one?" He sighed. "I really don't like wearing the color red." Francesca snickered. "Let me guess why. Cause you have to wear it all the time." She snatched a dark blue, extremely short pair of swim trunks from the pile on the display and tossed them to him. "Blue is your favorite color. And you look really good in it." She received a small smile from him as he walked back into the dressing room.

Francesca waited a few minutes, then she ran into the dressing room and flung the door to the stall open that Fraser was in. She squealed out her laughter as he hurriedly covered himself. "Francesca! Close the door!" Leaning against the door frame she hugged her chest as she kept laughing. "Oh who cares if another guys sees you? You are way too modest." "Please Francesca...close the door." With an evil grin, she pulled the door shut while remaining in the stall with him.

"Francesca, no." "No what? I'm not doing anything." She stared at him, letting her eyes devour his body. She knew it made him uncomfortable when she gawked at him like this. Biting her lip, she looked at him through lowered eyes and spoke to him in a seductive voice. "Benton...have you ever thought about doing it in a public place?" Her smile widened as his face turned red again and he backed up against the wall.

"Please don't do this. Not here." "Why not?" She took a small step forward closing the distance between them. "Give me a kiss and I'll go." He shook his head and moved to the corner. "No. You always say you want a kiss and then you try something." "I won't do anything bad. I mean we still have that stupid promise we made to each other. Give me a kiss and I'll leave." She could see Fraser weighing his options. She knew she had won when he took a small step forward.

He quickly leaned down and kissed her and just as he had expected, Francesca wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. She had played this game repeatedly with him. Maybe it was time for a little payback. Dropping the bathing suit in his hand, he pulled her tightly to him, deepening the kiss. Running a hand through her hair, he pulled her head backÊ and hungrily sucked at her neck. He could feel her stiffen slightly as he backed her up against the wall. "Benton..." He silenced her protests with another kiss and forced his tongue into her mouth. Her small moan was all he needed to know that the tables were now turned.

He could feel himself tightening, the blood flowing through his veins quickly filling him. Taking one of her hands, he pressed it against himself, molding her fingers around his growing erection. She hadn't expected him to do anything and now he could sense her panic. She pushed against his chest. "Benton...we can't..." He kissed her neck, nibbling a path along her jaw line. "Why not? You just asked me if I'd like to do this." "But...I didn't mean here!" "I think you did. If not, then why are you in here?" "You made a promise Benton. You have to keep it."

Taking a deep breath, he smiled and nuzzled his face in her hair. Taking a second breath he breathed in her scent one more time before slowly releasing her. "Yes...I did make a promise didn't I?" She backed up to the door, never letting her eyes leave his. "Um...yeah...we did make a promise." He took a step toward her. "Are you sure you don't want to make love here? You did express an interest in..." "No! I mean...just try your bathing suit on!" She yanked the door open and he heard her footsteps as she ran out of the dressing room.

Taking another deep breath, he slowly let it out and started laughing silently. He leaned his forehead against the mirror, taking several calming breaths. He had to admit to himself that he was getting soft. Francesca had caught him completely off guard and had startled him. He hadn't had anything like that happen to him since he was a teen. And when she had suggested that they have sex in the dressing room...at first he had only wanted to get back at her for teasing him. But the more he had thought about it, the more excited he had become.

The idea of taking her in a place so public...the sound of her small moan echoed in his mind. Francesca was extremely vocal when they engaged in any manner of sexual contact, and when she tried to keep quiet... *Stop it! Dear lord, control yourself!* Fraser tried desperately to think of something that would calm him down. His erection was getting worse, not better since Francesca had left the stall.

Pressing his hand against himself, Fraser groaned slightly. It had only been a week since he had any type of sexual release and it was driving him crazy. Thinking back to the years that he had gone without any sex at all, it was a wonder that he hadn't lost it. It was killing him, knowing that he could have 'talked' Francesca into having sex with him in the dressing room. It wouldn't have taken much to change her mind.

Biting his lip, he slowly wrapped his fingers around his swollen member. The pressure was light, but it was enough to make him sigh in pleasure. Running his hand up and down his length he smiled...but he quickly jerked his hand away from himself. *No.* Like Francesca had said, he did make a promise. If she could wait, then so could he. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to relax, taking in deep breaths again, slowly releasing them. Controlling his heart rate, he could feel himself soften. It took a few minutes of concentration, but he was back in control. Now all he had to do was try the bathing suit on. 

 

Ray drummed his fingers repeatedly on the table top. He had eaten a huge breakfast, drank several cups of coffee and had read the paper from the headlines to the classifies. He still had a couple hours to kill before he was to pick Thatcher up for their date at the shooting range. He couldn't believe that he was hiding. He was hiding from Fraser of all people! What could Fraser do to him that would be so bad? The more he thought of the things that the supposedly calm Mountie was capable of, the bigger the knot in his stomach grew. Fraser wasn't the innocent that everyone thought him to be.

*It's my house. I shouldn't be afraid to go back to my own house damn it!* Pulling his wallet out, Ray slapped down his money to pay the bill, leaving the waitress a heavy tip. He had hogged up the corner booth all morning, causing her to lose several chances at making more money. Having waited on tables when he was in high school, he knew what it was like to when someone took a booth when a stool at the counter was in order. But he had wanted to be left alone. A counter stool meant fending off conversation from the morning crowd.

Walking out to the Riv, he spied a ticket on his windshield. He had forgotten to come back out and put money in the parking meter. "You have got to be fuckin kiddin me!" Angrily snatching the ticket from under the wiper, he shoved it in his jacket pocket. Maybe he could get the Lieutenant to 'take care of' his ticket. If it wasn't for him being a detective, he would have had his F.O.P. plates on the Riv and this kind of crap would never happen to him.

As he drove back to the house, his stomach began to churn again. He closed his eyes for a brief second, praying to God that Fraser and his sister hadn't gotten home yet. As he opened them he jerked the steering wheel violently to the right. The Riv's front left wheel impacted heavily with a deep pothole. "Damn it!" He spent the remainder of the ride home, mentally cursing himself for his carelessness. He let the wheel go several times and each time the Riv would begin pulling to the center of the road. He now had to get an alignment done.

His stomach twisted into a tight knot as he pulled into the driveway. Part of him sighed in relief because Francesca's beat up old Mustang wasn't there. That meant that Fraser wasn't in the house. But his mother would be there. *Come on you big chicken. If she's here you can handle her. It's not like she's gonna beat you.* Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and carefully closed the door to the Riv. *Maybe I can sneak in and she'll never know I'm here.*

Ray crept his way into the house, pleased that no one had heard him enter. Silently padding his way to the kitchen, he was shocked by the sight before him. "Tony?" His brother-in-law jumped back from the sink, dropping a glass that broke as it hit the floor. "Man don't do that!" Ray stared open mouthed at him. Tony wore a sweat soaked t-shirt and was from all appearances doing the dishes.

Tony looked back at him, obviously irritated. "Get out of here Ray!" "Why?!" "Jesus! Can't you see I just mopped the floor?!" Tony gestured broadly with an arm at the still wet floor. "You mopped the floor?" "No...little fairies came in and did it, that's why the floor is clean. Yeah, I mopped the floor. Now get out!" Ray started laughing, but he quickly stopped as Tony snapped at him.

"Yeah, you laugh it up funny boy. When Ma gets a hold of your skinny little ass you won't be laughin." Ray frowned back at Tony and his stomach lurched. "What do ya mean by that?" "Ma was pissed this mornin. When she found out you snuck out of here, she grabbed Maria and the kids. She said they were goin out and I was to clean the kitchen up. She said when you came back I was to tell you, that she wants to have a little chat with ya."

Ray swallowed nervously. "Yeah? Did she say what she wanted to talk to me about?" Tony snickered. "Ma was pissed at you for last night. Don't think she doesn't know you were out bangin Thatcher." Ray took a step forward and slipped on the wet floor. Grabbing onto the door frame he glared across the room at Tony. "Now you just wait a minute! You don't know shit! Don't you go talkin about Meg like that!" "Yeah , yeah. I don't know shit."

Tony laughed and turned his back to Ray. Picking up the broken glass, he tossed it in the trash. "You come home really late last night and wake up the entire house. Then you get up really early and take off like a bat out of hell cause Fraser's comin over. You did her. Besides...Maria said you did and Maria got that bit of info from Frannie." Tony smiled over his shoulder at Ray. "And you were in Frannie's room last night when Ma busted ya." "But I didn't do anything!"

Tony picked up a wash rag and began wiping down the counters. "If you didn't do her, then why are ya so defensive? Look...I don't care who you screw around with, what you do is your business. Just get off my clean floor." Ray carefully stepped back into the hall. "Where did Ma go?" "I don't know. She said somethin about goin to the park. And ya don't have to worry about the gruesome twosome comin back anytime soon either. Frannie had that shop til ya drop look about her. They won't be back until dinner knowin her." "Oh. O.K. Thanks." Ray turned to leave, but Tony called out to him. "Ray." "What?" Tony lowered his voice. "So...was she any good?" "You're an asshole!"

Without waiting for any reply from Tony, he stomped angrily into the den. No Fraser, no Frannie, no Ma. The den was nice and quiet. Flopping on the sofa, he lay back and yawned. A nap would do him some good. Grabbing a pillow, he hugged it to his face...and quickly sat up. He slowly brought the pillow to his face and sniffed it. He kept staring at it and then at the sofa. Sniffing it one more time he grimaced. "Aw come on!" He got a visual of Fraser and his sister going at it on the sofa and they were laying all over the pillow in his hands.

Throwing the pillow across the room, he watched it settle on the floor. He jerked his hands off of the material of the sofa. He would have to have the damn thing cleaned before he would ever take a nap on the thing again. He got up and lay back in his recliner. He could only hope that they had never christened his chair with their perverse sexual habits. Besides...he was kind of hoping to have his chair christened by him and Meg. Setting the alarm on his watch, Ray snuggled down for a short nap. He had a fun afternoon planned with Thatcher and he didn't want to ruin it by yawning in her face. 

 

  
Once Fraser regained control of himself, he picked up the skimpy swim trunks and eyed them speculatively. They were similar to his R.C.M.P. swim trunks, only they were a tad shorter than he would have preferred. For some reason, Francesca was bound and determined for him to display as much of his body as possible.

Pulling them on, he stepped back and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't see what Francesca was talking about. He wasn't some stunning figure of a man as far as he was concerned. He saw a face without any specific features that stood out as unusual. He looked like a thousand other men that he had seen on the streets of Chicago. The only things he could see as unique would be his pale skin and his eyes.

No matter where he had gone, people always made comments on how beautiful his eyes were. He smiled slightly at his image in the mirror. When he looked at his face and eyes, he thought of his mum. He resembled her enough to make his own dad ill at ease with him after her death. As for himself, he drew comfort from the fact that he looked so much like her. She still lived on through him.

He felt a sudden wave of depression wash over him. He had spent a lot of time lately thinking about his mum and dad. He missed them beyond words. And now that he was getting married, he found the void they left in his life almost unbearable. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of all thoughts of them. It wouldn't do for him to mope around the rest of the day. It would only draw questions from Francesca and he just wasn't in the mood to deal with that.   
ÊÊÊ Walking quietly out of the dressing room, he found Francesca standing with her back to him. She was looking through a pile of shirts and hadn't heard him come out. He stood by the door, studying her petite frame. She had dressed in the tightest pair of jeans that she owned and now he stared intently at her ass. Jeans, skirts, leather, anything...he always thought she had the best posterior of any woman he had ever seen.   
ÊÊÊ Watching her bend over her desk at the precinct had been the most excitement that he had allowed himself before he had begun dating her. Now he could look at her openly without any fear of retribution from Ray. He still got the crap teased out of him, but he no longer received the threatening glares that Ray had always given him. She was his and he could touch her when ever the mood suited him.   
ÊÊÊ Silently walking up behind her, Fraser ran a hand gently over her ass...only to have Francesca whip around and slap him hard across the face. He drew back, stunned at the violent contact. Francesca brought her hands up to cover her mouth. "Oh my God! I am so sorry Benton!" He could feel the heat on his cheek where her small hand had connected with his skin. "I'm sorry. I thought...well I didn't hear you come out and...well, I thought you were some weirdo."   
ÊÊÊ Biting her lip, Francesca tried to not smile. The look of shock on Fraser's face and the red imprint of her hand on his pale cheek, struck her suddenly as funny. She snickered as she repeated her apology. "I am soooo sorry Benton." Fraser tilted his head to the side, staring down at her. Then he turned and calmly walked back into the dressing room. When he reappeared moments later, he was fully clothed.   
ÊÊÊ "I said I was sorry." He ignored her and tossed the swim trunks in the cart. He began to push the cart away from her without bothering to see if she was following him. Placing her hands on her hips, Francesca sighed and then called out to him. "I didn't mean to slap you, but you grabbed my butt!" Running to catch up to him, she saw him peek at her. "I didn't grab you Francesca, I merely touched you." "Touch, grab...same difference." "This is a grab."   
ÊÊÊ Fraser stopped walking and moved behind her, tightly grabbing her left ass cheek. She squealed out in surprise and began laughing. "Benton Fraser, what has gotten into you today?!" He gave her a quick smile and took her hand. With his free hand he resumed pushing the cart. "You ought to be glad I slapped you." Fraser stopped again and gave her a curious look.   
ÊÊÊ And why should I be happy that you slapped me?" "What would you do if I let a strange guy come up and cop a feel from me?" "Cop a feel?" "Grab me or touch me. What if I just let any guy touch me and not do anything back? How would you feel about that? How would you like it if 'Tom' came up at the precinct and touched me the way you just did and I didn't slap him?" *Oops. Wrong thing to say.*   
ÊÊÊ She watched as Fraser's entire body stiffened. He practically glared at her. "Why would you let Tom touch you?" "I was using that as an example! God, you are so dense sometimes! Tom, Huey, Dewey...any guy. If I let someone do what you did to me and I didn't do anything back, wouldn't you get pissed?" He shifted from foot to foot, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Well?" "I wouldn't like it at all." "I rest my case."   
ÊÊÊ She could still see that he was angry. She had to remember to never use Tom again as an example. The scum bag brought out the worst in Fraser. How in the hell was she going to fix this one? With a mental smile, she decided diversion was the best topic. "Ya know, we had better go and get some sunscreen before we leave. My hand print only shows how white you are. You'll fry like an egg if we don't cover you with the stuff."   
ÊÊÊ "Francesca, I am not that pale." Grinning, she pulled her sleeve up and thrust her arm next to his. "Roll up your sleeve." Fraser pulled back his sleeve and she rested her arm against his. Her skin was a healthy olive tone, with a hint of a tan. His forearm was almost white compared to hers. "O.K. whitey, do you want oil or lotion?" "Francesca, that is not very nice." "How about pale face? Or clear boy?" "I would prefer that you called me Benton or nothing at all." O.K. Mr. Nothingatall, let's go get you burn proofed."   
ÊÊÊ She grabbed the cart and began pushing it over to the seasonal isle, hoping that they had put out the summer stock along with the summer clothing. With a grin, she found a huge display of tanning lotions and oils. "Oil or lotion, Mr. Nothingatall?" "Francesca..." Fraser sighed irritably. "Benton...oil or lotion." Fraser began picking up various bottles, opening them and smelling them. Reading the labels. She stood back and watched him. He was worse than an old lady at the market picking out fruit.   
ÊÊÊ Snatching a bottle from his hands, she shook it in his face. "It's simple Benton. Oil or lotion?" "I don't really know. The benefits of one..." "Let me put it this way. Lotion absorbs fast. I can give you a good back rub with it. Now oil on the other hand will leave you slippery. I could rub the stuff on you for hours and it would still slide." She grinned lewdly. "Maybe we should get you the oil. We could maybe have a little fun out on the beach sliding around on each other.   
ÊÊÊ Fraser hurriedly snatched the bottle from her grasp and tossed it in the cart. "I think the lotion will be what I require." "You're no fun, you know that don't you?" She gave him a lewd grin and was shocked when he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I can be extremely fun, but not in front of other people." He quickly grabbed a bottle of tanning oil. "We can use this at night." "Ya know...you're not as dull as I thought you were going to be." "Dull? Francesca, I will not bore you with the details, but if you recall, I have a myriad of plans for us on our honeymoon." Her smile widened. "Oh yeah. I forgot."   
ÊÊÊ She stepped forward and took his hand. "How about we go to the front, pay for this stuff and then go get lunch. There's a really nice place called 'Vickers' down the street. They're supposed to have the best corned beef sandwiches this side of Chicago." "Do they have salami?" "They're a deli Benton. What deli doesn't carry salami?" "I don't know." Shaking her head, she pulled him forward and grabbed the cart with her other hand. She was starving and wasn't about to spend another half hour trying to explain herself to him.   
Ê   
Ê   
Ê

ÊÊÊ As Ray drove the Riv to Thatcher's apartment to pick her up, he frowned. The Riv being knocked out of alignment pissed him off. The ticket he got pissed him off. His entire family knowing his private business had left him livid. No one made a big deal about Fraser and his sister banging all over the place. Why was he being singled out for doing what Frannie did? Besides, he had hardly done anything. He and Thatcher were two consenting adults doing what they wanted to do. What they did wasn't anyone's business!   
ÊÊÊ Counting to ten, he tried to calm down. He wanted his day with Thatcher to be a pleasant one. Being all wound up wasn't what he had in mind. By the time he found himself at her door, he had managed to relax. The prospect of spending the remainder of his day in her company was just what he needed. Shaking his arms out and rolling his head back and forth, Ray rid himself of the last of his tension.   
ÊÊÊ Ringing the doorbell, he rocked back and forth on his heals waiting for Thatcher to answer the door. He heard footsteps running toward the door and it flung open. Thatcher grinned at him and yelled over her shoulder as she ran into another room. "Make yourself comfortable!" Cautiously walking into the apartment, he cast his gaze around the room. The living room was a nice size, tastefully furnished. Several oil paintings hung from the walls. The entire room shouted out class. He smiled as he saw the stereo system and television. Sony. Everything matched and nothing was out of place.   
ÊÊÊ Thatcher practically bounced as she came back in the room. She wore a blue R.C.M.P. sweatshirt. The same one that he was so use to seeing Fraser wear. He kept forgetting that Thatcher and Fraser were basically just two cops, who happened to be from Canada. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore faded blue jeans andÊ a pair of hiking boots. The resemblance to Fraser nagged at him. Why did she have to look so much like Fraser? All he could feel were the constant doubts about himself. Was Thatcher really interested in him or was he a poor substitute for the soon to be married Mountie?   
ÊÊÊ He immediately forgot all about Fraser the moment Thatcher flashed him a bright smile. She excitedly picked up a gun box and hugged it to her chest. "This is going to be fun. It's been so long since I've been out shooting." Ray smiled back at her. "What's in the box." A look of pride appeared on her face. "A Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum. It was my father's and he gave it to me when I was accepted in the R.C.M.P. We use to go to the range every chance we got." "That's a big gun for target shooting don't ya think?"   
ÊÊÊ Arching an eyebrow at Ray, her smile widened. "I used this as my back up weapon while on duty. I always carried it off duty as well. When the rumor got around about the type of weapon that I carried and my level of skill in using it, not too many people bothered me. My father is a very intelligent man. He knew what he was doing when he gave this to me." Before Ray could ask her anymore questions, she walked toward the door. "Shall we be going? I don't want to waste any more of our afternoon as is necessary."   
ÊÊÊ Ray walked out of the apartment and Thatcher handed him the gun case as she locked the door. He hefted it's weight wondering how someone as small as Thatcher could even handle something as powerful as the gun in the case. Pulling her jacket on, she practically snatched the case from his hands, her excitement obviously showing itself. She whistled softly to herself as they walked out to the Riv. The tune was one that he recognized immediately. She was happily whistling "Oh Canada".

ÊÊÊ Francesca watched Fraser pick at his sandwich. He ate it in small bites and he hadn't even touched his potato chips. She had already finished her corn beef sandwich, eaten her pickle and she had sucked down her chips like a vacuum cleaner. On one hand she wanted to scream at him for not eating. On the other hand, she wanted to reach over the table and take the remainder of his meal. She was starving! Her hunger overrode her anger.   
ÊÊÊ "Are you gonna eat your chips?" Fraser pushed his plate toward her. "No. I really don't like..." "Good. I'll eat them. Are you gonna eat the rest of your sandwich or are ya gonna just tear it apart?" He held the remainder of his salami sandwich out to Francesca, grinning while she ate it in only a few bites. She gulped down some apple juice. "Sorry Benton. But I'm not gonna let you waste this food. I'm starvin and you could care less about eatin it. It's not going to waste." "It's not that I'm not hungry, it's just..." She held a hand up. "I don't care. I'll eat it."   
ÊÊÊ Francesca quickly devoured the chips and the crackers laying by her plate. "You want desert?" "I don't..." She cut him off again. "Well I do." She waved down the waiter to take her order. "I'll have the black forest cake with a scoop of double dutch chocolate ice cream." She peeked across the table at Fraser. She knew he would be ordering as well. "Benton...do you want the same?" "No...could I just have three scoops of the double dutch chocolate ice cream?" She grinned at his selection. Fraser was definitely a chocolate ice cream freak.   
ÊÊÊ The waiter scribbled down their order and was quickly back with their deserts. Francesca jabbed her fork in the moist cake and sighed. She mumbled though her mouthful of cake. "This is heaven." Fraser nodded his head in agreement as he spooned a portion of the ice cream in his mouth. As he let the rich chocolate melt over his tongue, he stared at Francesca as she ate her cake. Each time her fork entered her mouth he watched her tongue dart out and delicately take the cake into her mouth. He watched her red full lips move as she chewed.   
ÊÊÊ Taking a deep breath, he quickly looked back down at his bowl of ice cream, feeling a wave of shame wash over him. He was getting hard watching her eat cake. There definitely was something wrong with him. He kept his gaze cast down as he ate the remainder of his ice cream. He couldn't look back at her without thinking of what he would like her to eat. And his thoughts had nothing to do with food. *Ray is right. You are nothing more than a rabbit.*

ÊÊÊ Ray stood back and watched as Thatcher fired off another round of ammo at her target. It was a small paper target set 25 yards away. Each bullet that sped it's way done the lane, hit in the center. When Thatcher had pulled the large gun from it's casing, Ray had noticed the other officers from theÊ precinct watching them. He had seen a few of the men snicker at her. The idea of a woman handling a gun like that was absurd. Their snickers were quickly squelched as she fired round after round with deadly accuracy.   
ÊÊÊ Ray looked at the .38 in his hand. He carried this weapon every day. He used it too much while on duty, as far as he was concerned and he went to the range to practice at least three times a month. And here was Thatcher with her monster pistol, not having been shooting in over a year...kicking his ass royally. He couldn't come anywhere near her level of accuracy. *What is it with these fuckin Canadian's anyway? Are they all perfect or what?*   
ÊÊÊ Thatcher turned to him and smiled. "Your turn Ray." He watched as she carefully reloaded her weapon. She looked up at him and noticed him staring at her. "Aren't you going to shoot?" "Uh...yeah." Turning back around, Ray began to squeeze out his rounds. He felt a surge of pleasure run though him as he hit the center target, but he mentally cursed himself as the next shot went off target. "Ray...can I show you something?"   
ÊÊÊ He turned back to look at Thatcher questioningly. "Sure." His tone was dry, but if Thatcher had picked up on his irritation, she ignored it. "Good." She motioned for him to turn back around and then she wrapped her arms around him. "Kinky Meg." "Very funny Ray." She helped him aim. "If you take a breath and hold it and keep your eye off target just a fraction to the right, you'll do better. You sights are off." Ray pulled the trigger and watched as he hit the target dead center. "Hey...thanks. How'd you know my sites are off."   
ÊÊÊ She tapped her head. "Know your weapon. And know your opponents weapon as well." "So I'm your opponent?" "Not exactly. But I like to know the weapons that those around me use." "You ever see Benny's weapon?" Ray regretted saying it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "No, I have never seen Fraser's...weapon. I've never had the privilege of shooting with him." "I didn't mean it that way and you know it." "If you didn't mean it that way Detective, then why are you making an apology?"   
ÊÊÊ Picking her pistol up, Thatcher stepped past Ray and began shooting at the target. She fired the rounds off quickly. Her accuracy was just as good as the last round. She turned an unsmiling face back to Ray. "Top that Vecchio." Stepping back from him, she began to reload her pistol. Ray sighed. He had managed to piss Thatcher off. As he began to fire his gun at the target, he desperately tried to think of a way to get back in her good graces.   
Ê   
Ê

ÊÊÊ Licking the last crumb of the rich chocolate cake from her lips, Francesca leaned back in her chair and patted her flat stomach. "I am stuffed. How about you Frase?" Fraser's head snapped up. "Frase?" She hadn't called him that in some time and hearing it now meant she was irritated with him. *What did I do?*Ê When she snickered, he immediately relaxed. "Yeah...Frase. You ever notice that we never call each other by pet names?"   
ÊÊÊ Francesca watched Fraser's expression turn confused. "No, I'm not talkin about 'pet' names. I mean terms of endearment. You know...like honey or sweetie." "Ah." "I call you Benton and you call me Francesca. That's it." Leaning back in his chair, Fraser smiled slightly as he looked her over. "What would you like me to call you? Fran? Frannie?" He grimaced in distaste as he pronounced the names.   
ÊÊÊ "And what's wrong with me bein called Frannie?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It's...Fran sounds so common and Frannie...that's Ray's sister. You're Francesca...you're a lady." She grinned and shook her head. "Only you would think that." Fraser was the only man that had ever called her a lady. Everyone else called her a little girl, a pain in the ass, tramp, loose...whatever. Fraser was the first person to ever see behind her shell and see the real person that she was.   
ÊÊÊ "Benton...Ben...Benny...it's not what I 'want' you to call me, it's what you feel inside. I don't know. I mean...you have to feel somethin to give me a pet name. Ya know?" Fraser stood and held his hand out to her. "Let's go home...Francesca." She rolled her eyes as she took his hand. "Fine...Benny." He sighed.Ê "Please do not call me that." "Why? Ray does. Why can't I? I think it's kinda cute." She squeezed his hand. "I really don't like being called that. I only let Ray call me by that name." "Why?" "I don't know. It seems acceptable coming from him." "And from me?" "It sounds like I'm just a friend to you."   
ÊÊÊ "Ya know 'Benton', you are my best friend. I can tell you anything and you accept it. You accepted me just like I am." He smiled and held the door open as they left the deli and headed out to the car. "I don't know if I would call you my best friend." She stopped walking and gave Fraser a hurt look. When he went to hug her, she tried to pull away from him. "Get off of me!" Chuckling, Fraser pulled her tightly to him and whispered in her ear as she continued to struggle in his grasp.   
ÊÊÊ "You are not my best friend Francesca. You are my life." She immediately stopped trying to pull away from Fraser and hugged him tightly. "Ya know...you need to stop teasing me like that." "I'm not teasing you." He moved back slightly and looked at her seriously. "You are everything to me Francesca. Without you, life would be meaningless." She could feel the tears welling up and quickly tucked her head against his chest.   
ÊÊÊÊ "I love you too Benton." He held her for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of her small frame hugged tightly against him. He noticed the people that walked past them, gave them funny looks, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered any more. He was happy with the way his life was going and it was all because of the love that Francesca so freely gave him. Nothing but death would ever make him give that up.

ÊÊÊ Ray stood back and watched Thatcher reload her pistol for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had basically ignored him and concentrated on her shooting. He knew that nothing short of begging was going to get her to lighten up, but he didn't want to be caught begging for her forgiveness in front of half the officers from his precinct. He could see them looking over at them occasionally. He cringed as Huey and Dewey walked in and wandered over to the lane next to them.   
ÊÊÊ Dewey grinned and watched as Thatcher basically demolished a new target. All her shots were dead center. Moving back, she quickly checked her weapon and began reloading it. "Nice shooting Inspector." She looked up at Dewey and gave Ray a brief side ways glance. "Thank you very much Detective...Dewey I believe." "You got it." He offered Thatcher his hand and she took it, giving him a surprisingly strong handshake.   
ÊÊÊ Ray watched as Dewey kept his hold on Thatcher's hand just a little bit too long as far as he was concerned. And the fact that Thatcher didn't pull her hand away from his, irritated the hell out of him. To his relief Huey interrupted their handshake. "Detective Huey." She shook his hand as well, but kept her eyes targeted on Dewey, who continued to look her over. *That's enough!*   
ÊÊÊ Ray stepped forward so that he blocked Dewey from looking at Thatcher any longer. "Don't you have something to do?" "Yeah." "Then go do it." He glared at them as they walked away. Dewey gave Thatcher a small wave and she smiled back at him. Ray whipped around to face her. "Is that really necessary?" "Is what necessary?" He kept his voice low. "Don't pull that crap on me. You know what I'm talkin about." Turning her back to him, she calmly checked her pistol. "I have no idea as to what you are talking about."   
ÊÊÊ He stepped around Thatcher so that he was looking directly at her. "You know exactly what I'm talkin about. Look...I'm sorry for what I said. How many times do I hafta apologize to you?" She gave him a hard stare. "I don't know Ray. I guess as many times as you continue to insult Constable Fraser and I." "Huh?" She glared at him. "You and your sister continue to question us about our supposed relationship. We never had any sexual contact. We have stated this repeatedly to the both of you. Either you can learn to live with the fact that at one time we had considered something further or you can forget any association with me. Am I clear on this?"   
ÊÊÊ *She called me Ray.* "Uh...sure. I can do that." She blinked in surprise. She had been expecting an argument from him. "Oh...all right. Would you care to continue shooting?" "Yeah." He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "And don't go playin games with me again. Am I clear on this?" He nodded his head towards Dewey. She smiled back at Ray. "Sure...I can do that." Ray gave her a bright smile as he turned to shoot at the target. Thatcher was one tough cookie, but that was one of the qualities that he liked about her. And now that she wasn't pissed at him, maybe he could talk her into going out to dinner. She spent way too much of her free time working as far as he was concerned.   
Ê   
Ê

ÊÊÊ Thatcher had begged off dinner, firmly stating to Ray that she had work that 'had' to be completed. She was responsible for the Consulate's business and she wasn't about to shirk her duties for her own personal pleasures. And much to Francesca's dismay, Thatcher commandeered Fraser to assist her with the project.

ÊÊÊ Whaddya mean you have to go to work? Today's your day off!" Fraser gave Francesca an apologetic look. "I am sorry, but Inspector Thatcher can't do the entire project without my help. We have a deadline to meet and it requires two people to finish it on time." Francesca crossed her arms and glared back at him. "Yeah...uh huh. Why didn't she make you work over during the week? Just because 'she' doesn't have a life, it doesn't mean you hafta suffer!"   
ÊÊÊ Fraser knew that she was right, but she also didn't know the amount of work that was involved at the Consulate at times. Some days the pace was leisurely, other days their schedule was so hectic that it was impossible to even take a break to eat. The only hard part about it, was unfortunately happened to be all paperwork and phone calls. Red tape and bureaucracy. A mountain of it awaited them at ever turn. Government business was never cut and dry.   
ÊÊÊ With a tired sigh, he leaned down and gave Francesca a kiss. "I'm sorry. Hopefully the Inspector and I will finish this tonight. If so, maybe we could do something together tomorrow. He gave her a smile and headed toward the door. "Call me if you're gonna be there late. Maybe I can bring you dinner." "Thank you for the offer Francesca, but I'll pick up something to eat before I go there. I have a feeling that we won't be able to eat later. Good night." As the door clicked shut, she yelled out to him. "You 'better' eat somethin!"   
Ê   
ÊÊÊ After Fraser left, Francesca stormed into the kitchen to help Maria and her mother make dinner. She was also prepared to rip into Ray for letting Thatcher take Fraser away for the night. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but quickly closed it when she entered the room. She saw Tony and Ray standing next to one another cutting up vegetables. Maria was making some pies, smiling at the scene before her. Mrs. Vecchio was busy stuffing pieces of chopped garlic into a large pot roast.   
ÊÊÊ After she washed her hands, Francesca walked over the table where Maria was working. Grabbing a ball of dough, she began rolling out a pie crust. She giggled and whispered to Maria. "What's with Tony? He still feelin guilty about the other night?" Maria grinned. "I think I made him see the light Frannie. Oh shit! Watch this!" Maria's eyes eagerly watched her mother walk over to Ray. Francesca quickly turned so that she could see the entire thing. When her mother started something, it was always fun. As long as you weren't on the receiving end of things.   
ÊÊÊ Picking up a knife, Mrs. Vecchio carefully began peeling a potato as she talked. "Raymondo...why were you so late the other night?" Francesca smothered a laugh and nudged Maria, who grinned back at her. Ray looked nervously around the room, seeing Maria and Francesca staring at him like he was a stripper at nudie bar. "Uh...I was at the Consulate, Ma. You know I was there." "You were there the entire time?" "Yes Ma." "You never went to Meg's home?" "No Ma." *So far so good.*   
ÊÊÊ "What did you 'do' at the Consulate?" Ray swallowed nervously. He had to be really careful with how he answered this. "Um...I...we danced." He smiled. That was the right answer. They did dance after all. He wasn't lying to his ma. Mrs. Vecchio's face remained emotionless as she spoke. "And the dance that you did. Would it be called the 'mambo'? Maria and Francesca burst out laughing, but quickly stopped as their mother gave them a disapproving glare. Tony coughed and turned his smiling face away from them.   
ÊÊÊ "Raymondo? Did you 'dance' the mambo?" Ray whispered his answer, feeling a shiver of dread run down his spine. Only his mother could reduce him to a quivering pile of frightened mush like this. Not even Frankie Zuko threatening him could bring this feeling of dread. "Yes Ma." Mrs. Vecchio stared coldly at him. "I did not hear you. Could you please speak up." Ray gritted his teeth and spoke louder. "Yes Ma."   
ÊÊÊ She frowned and continued staring at Ray. He could feel his face turning red. Looking down at the carrot in his hand, he resisted the urge to run out of the house. *Crap! Crap! Crap!* Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke and she gestured at him with the knife. "Do you not remember our little talk about you doing the mambo?" "Yes Ma." "Are you going to marry her?" Ray's head snapped up. "Ma! I hardly know her!"   
ÊÊÊ Mrs. Vecchio slammed the knife and the potato down on the counter causing everyone to jump. "You say you do not know her? Yet you have no problem doing the mambo with her. If you do not know her all that well, then maybe you should not 'dance' with her again until you do! Do you understand what I am saying this time?" Ray could feel tears of embarrassment and shame welling up in his eyes. "Yes Ma." "I will not have this talk with you again. Do you understand me?" "Yes ma." "Good. Now finish peeling the vegetables."   
ÊÊÊ She walked away from Ray and placed the roast in the oven. Then she calmly left the kitchen. Maria, Francesca and Tony all strained to hear what room she was heading for. When they heard the click of her bedroom door upstairs, they all began laughing hysterically. Tony leaned against the counter, resting his head on his arms, while Francesca and Maria wiped tears from their eyes. Ray glared at them. "You all need to shut the hell up!"   
ÊÊÊ Maria snorted and pointed at Ray. "Ma busted you but good! Oh my God, Ray! You had sex with Thatcher and you hardly even know her! And you call Fraser a pig?" She laughed loudly as Francesca reached over and gave her a high five. Tony looked up at Ray and shook his head. "She's got ya there Ray." "You shut up Tony!" Tony held his hands up in front of him. "Hey, no problem...mambo king." The three of them screamed out their laughter. Ray threw his knife in the sink and stormed out of the kitchen.   
ÊÊÊ Maria snickered. 'That was a good one Tony." "Thanks hon." Francesca wiped more tears from her face. "There ya go. Even you and Tony have pet names." Maria and Tony turned their smiling faces to Francesca. "What? You and Fraser don't call each other cupcake or dumplin?" "Nope. Francesca is all I get." Maria snorted. "That ain't all you get." Tony barked out a sharp laugh.   
ÊÊÊ "You are soooo funny Maria. Ya know...I really don't understand him sometimes." Tony chuckled again. "Frannie...there ain't no one that's ever gonna understand Fraser. He's too different. He's...I don't know...there's only one of him and a million of us." Francesca smiled at Tony's observation. He was right. Fraser 'was' one in a million.

ÊÊÊ Francesca never did get to see Fraser the next day. Thatcher kept him at the Consulate finishing up their project. She saw even less of him for the next few days as well. As she stood in front of the bureau in her bedroom bushing her hair, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She'd definitely get to see him tonight. First they had their wedding rehearsal and then dinner. She had been looking forward to this night for a long time. It meant that she had only two days left before she and Fraser were finally married.   
ÊÊÊ Her chest tightened as she realized what that meant. In two days all her wedding plans had to be double checked. Things had gotten slightly complicated in the past few weeks and she had to rush around making all the necessary arrangements. Everything for the honeymoon had to be done. Clothing needed to be packed and double checked as well. She didn't plan on going to Florida unprepared.   
ÊÊÊ Moving back to sit on the edge of her bed, she stared at the face in the mirror. In two days her life would be changed forever. She would no longer be Frannie Vecchio. She wouldn't see Maria or her mother every morning at breakfast. Her heart began to race and tears welled up in her eyes. Squeezing them tightly shut, she took deep gulping breathes. *Think of the good stuff!*   
ÊÊÊ Opening her eyes, she looked around the room. In two days she would be married to the man that she had chased for so long. In two days she would be living in her own home. She would be taking steps to start her own family. Clutching the brush in her small hands, she smiled. In two days, everything that she ever wanted would be hers.

ÊÊÊ The rehearsal went smoothly and much to Francesca's irritation, Fraser had refused to let her see the rings that he had chosen. After pouting for a few minutes, she finally gave up. He wasn't about to budge. "It's a surprise Francesca." She smiled, knowing that surprises from Fraser were always nice ones. When she had commented on how easy the rehearsal was going Ray smirked at her.   
ÊÊÊ "Frannie, big duh. Everyone here except for Benny...and Father Behan...have been married before." Angelo tugged at Ray's coat sleeve. "I haven't been married Uncle Ray." Francesca stuck her tongue out at Ray. "See, you're wrong again." He only shook his head and smiled down at Angelo. "I meant the adults Angelo. You're still too young to get married." "Oh."   
ÊÊÊ Looking around at the group assembled, Ray felt had to admit that things were going pretty good. Meg had agreed to come to the rehearsal to watch and then back to the house for dinner. And Lt. Welsh took the honor of giving the bride away very seriously. He had been surprised when Francesca had asked him. Her simple statement that he was 'family' had obviously touched him. Ray's gaze settled on Fraser. He noticed that unless Fraser was being directly questioned, he kept quiet. He seemed tense. He decided that once they got home, he'd find out the reason for Fraser silence.

ÊÊÊ The large group began making their way home from the church, walking and chatting loudly. Everyone talked about the honeymoon, the wedding and what was being served for dinner. Fraser was again quiet. Walking silently next to Francesca, he held her hand, occasionally swinging their arms back and forth. Ray watched them casting shy smiles at one another. Grinning, Ray decided that dinner wasn't soon enough to begin torturing Fraser.   
ÊÊÊ "You two are so sappy, it's not even funny." Fraser ignored Ray and smiled at Francesca again. Francesca smiled back at Fraser. "He's just jealous Benton." "Oh yeah, I'm so jealous Frannie." Tony piped up from behind them. "If 'you' were gettin married, you could go dancin Ray." Maria, Tony and Francesca all burst out into laughter, drawing curious looks from the others. "Shut up Tony." "I can dance with Maria all I want Ray." Maria laughed and patted Tony's arm. Her little 'talk' had changed things drastically.   
ÊÊÊ Tony now cooked and cleaned. He helped around the house and took care of the kids. He had even gone to the unemployment office. Things were better than they had been in years. The only person left with his life incomplete was Ray. She knew that her brother was happy with the way things were going with Thatcher, but for some reason she had her doubts about them being in a long term relationship. When she looked at Fraser and Francesca, she knew what they had together would work. When she looked at Ray and Thatcher, all she saw was two career minded people. She couldn't picture them married and having children. They were two self absorbed individuals. They thought more in the terms of me, not we.   
ÊÊÊ Pushing her worries about her baby brother aside, Maria hugged Tony as they slowly walked home. His small hug back warmed her heart. She was the lucky one. She had three wonderful children and finally...she had a husband. Not a bum. With a contented sigh, she listened to the laughter of her family, knowing that things were only going to get better.   
Ê   
Ê

ÊÊÊ Sitting at the table Ray looked around at everyone. Thatcher sat at his side, picking slowly at the food on her plate. Welsh sat by Tony. Both of the men were hearty eaters, forking in their food at a phenomenal rate. Mrs. Vecchio watched approvingly as everyone ate. Looking across the table he grinned slightly. Fraser was poking at the food on his plate, basically just pushing it around. This was an entirely different picture from what he had seen yesterday.

ÊÊÊ As they sat down at the booth, Ray noticed that Fraser practically snatched the menu off of the table. "You hungry Benny?" Fraser kept his eyes on the menu reading the list. "I'm famished." "Famished. You mean starved." "No Ray...I'm not starving. I'm merely overly hungry." "You're starving." A perky little waitress came up to them. "Are you guys ready to order?" Usually Ray ordered first and then Fraser would follow with some healthy sensible meal. Today he surprised Ray.   
ÊÊÊ "I would like the double decker Chicago burger, a basket of fries, a large milk and...a salad with vinaigrette dressing." He calmly folded his menu and looked up. Ray could only stare back at him. "Sir?" "Um...I'll have the same...skip the salad though." "Coming right up!" She turned to leave, but Fraser stopped her. "Pardon me miss." "Yes?" "Could I please have a bowl of the vegetable soup as an appetizer?" The waitress gave him a flirty grin "You can have whatever 'you' want." "Knock it off lady, he's gettin married in a couple of days!"   
ÊÊÊ As the waitress walked away in a huff, Fraser frowned at him. "Was that really necessary Ray?" Placing his arms on the table top, Ray smiled at him. "You want me to go home and tell Frannie that you were flirting with some girl?" Fraser's face turned slightly pale. "No...that would not be an option." "Then do you think I was being too...uncivilized?" "No Ray. You were correct in admonishing her." "Yeah...I thought so."

ÊÊÊ Ray stared at Fraser as he ate. The soup seemed to evaporate from the bowl. Crackers were eaten, then the salad disappeared. When he polished off the huge burger without batting an eye, Ray could only be amazed. Then the fries were gone. He had only half eaten his own burger and was picking at his fries. Fraser eyed the large plate of fries. "Ray...are you going to eat those?" "My fries...no, I'm kinda stuffed. That burger was huge." He pushed his plate toward Fraser and watched the fries disappear as well. He had never seen Fraser consume that much food. Ever.

ÊÊÊ Francesca watched Fraser poke and prod at his food. She gritted her teeth in annoyance. She was getting sick and tired of watching him starve himself. She was going to get to the bottom of this mystery now. She wasn't going to marry him unless he admitted that he had a problem. Leaning in she whispered to him. "Benton, I want to talk to you...now." Fraser looked back at her, clearly confused as to why Francesca was talking to him so heatedly. There had been no warning as to why she was angry with him.   
ÊÊÊ "Francesca, what's wrong?" "In the kitchen. Now!" Pushing her seat back, she plastered a fake smile on her face. "Can you excuse us for a moment? Benton and I need to have a little chat." Everyone at the table stopped eating and looked at the pair. It was obvious that something was wrong. Francesca looked angry and Fraser looked confused. Their eyes followed them as they left the room. Thatcher leaned in to Ray. "What's that all about?" "You got me, but it don't look good for Benny, whatever it is."

ÊÊÊ As soon as they entered the kitchen, Francesca lit into Fraser. "O.K., I've had enough of this shit! What in the hell is wrong with you?" Fraser was stunned. She was livid and he was clueless. "Francesca, I don't understand?" "What's there to understand? You won't eat! You're wasting away to nothing!" She reached out and grabbed his jeans by the waist, yanked roughly at them. "They're loose. Your jeans always fit you snug. You aren't eating and I want to know why." Francesca, I'm not..." "Quit it! Either you tell me or I'm calling this wedding off. I'm not gonna marry you if you can't even talk to me."   
ÊÊÊ He nervously shifted from foot to foot, feelin a slow blush creep up his face. Running a thumb nervously across his brow, he stammered as he spoke. "I...well...I've been..." "I'm serious Benton. You tell me or you can forget the wedding, you can forget the house...you can forget 'me'." She glared at him, crossing her arms resolutely across her chest.   
ÊÊÊ Tucking his head down in embarrassment, Fraser began talking slowly. "Ever since we...made our agreement, I haven't been able to..." "Yes...come on. Keep going." "I haven't been able to sleep very well." "What does sleeping have to do with you not eating?" He took a deep breath. "I...when I couldn't sleep, I would work out. Or I would go running. I was finding it hard to relax." "Relax from what?" She watched as his face turned a deep red. It finally dawned on her.   
ÊÊÊ "Wait a minute. You mean...you couldn't sleep because we weren't..." "Yes." "You have got to be kidding me?" "No, I'm not." "How come you won't eat?" She could see that he was dying from embarrassment. "When I'm around you...I find it hard to concentrate and I really don't want to...eat." She grinned. "You mean, you can't eat because you're thinking of what you'd like to be doing with me?" He nodded his head yes and looked down at the floor.   
ÊÊÊ When Francesca burst out laughing, Fraser winced. He knew she wouldn't ever let him live this down. "You poor thing. I knew we should have had sex, but noooooo. You had to keep your promise. 'Oh no Francesca...we can not do that. We did make a promise'." She snickered. "Guess what Benton? 'We' didn't keep the promise together." His head snapped up and looked at her in shock. She immediate regretted telling him. "What do you mean 'we' didn't?" Now it was Francesca's turn to be nervous.   
ÊÊÊ "Well...after you left that night...I kinda took matters into my own hand. Or hands if you want to get technical." She smiled him and shrugged her shoulders. "I thought that we agreed that we were not going to do anything at all. Including...what you did." She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You expected me to go cold turkey after we had been doing it practically every night?" "Yes, I did expect that. I didn't do anything." "You mean you didn't even...you know." She made a jerking motion with her hand, smiling as Fraser's blush returned.   
ÊÊÊ "No, I did not. We had agreed not to do that type of thing." "You must be backed up." "Backed up?" His voice rose slightly. "Yeah...you know, you're so backed up, that you're eyes are turning white." She smiled as he shook his head in disgust. "Oh come on! You who are some kinda sex fiend, you have the nerve to act like this." She gave him a wicked smile. "I wonder what Ray would think about this if I told him?" Fraser's look of disapproval turned to one of panic.   
ÊÊÊ "No! You can't tell him." "Why not? I think it's kinda cute. You couldn't eat around me 'cause you're horny." "Francesca please, don't tell him." "Give me a reason why I shouldn't? You let me think you were starving yourself to death. Why couldn't you have just told me this before?" "Because it isn't something that I'm proud of." Reaching forward, she hugged him. "I think it's cute. You wanted me so bad, you couldn't eat." He slowly returned her hug, nuzzling his face into her hair. They stood together for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of each other.   
ÊÊÊ "Benton?" "Yes?" "Do you maybe want to sneak upstairs and have a quickie?" His smothered laughter, caused her to smile. "I take that as a yes?" Pushing himself slowly away from her, he shook his head. "No. I believe I can wait one more evening. Unlike you Francesca, I intend on keeping my promise." With a defeated sigh, she took his hand and began pulling him back toward the dining room. "Well, if you're not gonna have me, then the least you can do is try and eat somethin for me."

ÊÊÊ The entire table looked at Fraser and Francesca as they reentered the room. They both were smiling happily at one another. Apparently their little chat had been a productive one. Ray watched as Fraser sat down and slowly began to eat. "So Benny, you and Frannie have a nice talk." Francesca answered for him. "Yes we did Ray. Everything has been taken care of." She lowered her voice so only Fraser could hear her. "Well, almost everything." She snickered as Fraser choked on his food. He gave her a sideways glance, the laughter clearly evident in his eyes. She knew that she had nothing to worry about after all. Their wedding would go off as planned.   
Ê   
Ê   
Ê

ÊÊÊ Ray carried his tux into the living room of Fraser's small home. He started laughing at the scene before him. Fraser was just as bad as his sister. When he had left the house, she was a nervous wreck. Just like Francesca's bedroom, articles of clothing lay all about the living room. His serge hung in a doorway and he was polishing his boots. What made it unusual was that he was only wearing a pair of shorts. Fraser in shorts was a strange sight.   
ÊÊÊ "Benny." "Yes Ray?" He never looked up as he inspected a spot on the heel of the boot he was buffing. "Are you nervous?" "Why would I be nervous?" "Well, you only have half an hour to go and you're not ready." Fraser's head snapped up and his face looked panicked. "A half hour?!" Ray started laughing. "I'm kiddin!" Fraser returned to polishing his boot. "That is not funny Ray." "Yeah...you're nervous." He watched Fraser repeatedly rub the boot in his hand. He couldn't see anything wrong with it, but apparently it wasn't passing Fraser's inspection. "What do you have left to do?" "Once I finish with this boot, I have to polish my buckle and buttons. Everything else is prepared. Then I can get my shower."   
ÊÊÊ "You haven't showered yet?" "No, I went for a run before I began this." "Wait a minute. You're gettin married in a few hours and you went for a run? Are you nuts?" Fraser kept his eyes on the boot in his hands. "No I am not 'nuts', I'm...I have a lot of...energy that needed to be expelled." Ray grinned at him. "I thought you would be saving all of your 'energy' for tonight?" Fraser stopped polishing his boot and slowly turned red. Ray didn't think he had ever seen him blush this bad. He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't resist a further dig.   
ÊÊÊ "I overheard Frannie talkin to Maria." Fraser visibly cringed. "And what did Francesca say?" "Oh nothin much. Just somethin about an agreement between you two. That it was over tonight." "And that's all?" "That's all 'I' heard. Now what she told Maria...I don't know." Fraser looked like he was relaxing a bit. *Time to twist the knife.* "But I kinda guessed what they were talkin about, based on how you've been actin." Ray smiled as he watched Fraser squirm under his gaze.   
ÊÊÊ Setting his boot down next to it's mate, Fraser picked up his belt and began polishing the buckle. "Do ya wanna hear what I think it was?" "No." "Too bad. I think your 'agreement' was that you guys don't have any sex for a certain period of time before you got married. And since I know you did it the night of the bachelor party...I'd say you and Frannie haven't done the nasty for the past two weeks. Am I right?" Fraser remained silent.   
ÊÊÊ "Ya know, for a rabbit like you, it must have been drivin you nuts! That's why you've lost weight." "I haven't lost weight, I've..." "Yeah, whatever. You're clothes are looser. Frannie thought you weren't eatin, but I know better. You've been eatin like a pig, but you've been runnin yourself to death." "I haven't been running myself to death." "Oh yeah? Then how come when I came home late one night last week...oh let's say it was two-thirty...you were out runnin." Fraser still ignored Ray. "I saw you out with Dief. I almost turned around to follow ya, but I was beat and wanted to get home."   
ÊÊÊ Fraser set the belt down and began working on the buttons of his serge. "Since you run, you've lost weight. Or if you prefer, you're 'tightened up'." Fraser continued to ignore him. Ray stood and watched him methodically clean an already gleaming button. "So...how many condoms do you think you'll go through tonight?" To his amazement, Fraser snickered. "What was that for?" "Nothing Ray." "No. You laughed. What were you thinkin?" Fraser kept working on a button. Without looking up, he quietly answered Ray. "The number would be zero Ray." 

"Huh?" *Zero? Zero! Shit!* Ray narrowed his eyes. "Zero?" Fraser smiled as he moved on to another button. "Yes Ray. Zero." "You're serious. You two are really gonna..." Fraser finally looked up at Ray, grinning the entire time. "Yes Ray." Ray slowly sank down in a chair and looked at Fraser who was still grinning at him. "You aren't gonna wait?" Fraser shrugged his shoulders. "Why should we wait? We'll be married." "Geez." Fraser finished with the last button on the serge and hung it back up. "I don't understand why you're so surprised Ray. We've repeatedly told you of our plans. If all goes well, Francesca should...hopefully we'll have a baby by the end of the year. If not, then we'll continue to try." 

Ray slouched back in the chair staring up at him, feeling himself growing numb. The reality of the situation hit him like a bucket of cold water. "If you don't mind Ray, I'll be back down in a half hour. I'm going to get showered. If you would care for anything to eat or drink, help yourself." Ray sat staring off into space. "Ray? Ray. Ray!" "Yeah?" Fraser stared laughing and shook his head. "I'm getting my shower." "Oh...okay." Fraser jogged up the stairs, leaving Ray sitting alone in the living room. 

After a few minutes the shock of the entire situation began to fade. Fraser and his sister were going on with their plans. It didn't matter to them that they had rushed the wedding. Now they were rushing to have a kid. Ray had always know that Francesca was impulsive, but Fraser...he would have never figured that he would go and do the stuff that he had done. But then again, when it came to the love department, Fraser was one screwed up mess. Victoria had shown a part of the Mountie that was so out of character, that he was still having trouble figuring 'that' all out. 

With a defeated sigh, Ray began to look around the room. "Jesus! When in the hell did he do all this?!" Looking down at his feet, he saw that the floor was finished. All the wood was stained and varnished until it gleamed like it had an icy surface. Looking up, he saw that the walls had been painted. New curtains hung in each dirt free window. "Why in the hell didn't I notice this shit when I came in?" *Because you were too busy teasing the crap out of him ya idiot.* 

Ray's eyes widened as he looked at the entertainment center in the corner of the room. "What in the hell is this?!" He yelled it out loud and then caught himself, looking up the stairs in embarrassment. He pushed away from the chair and walked over to stand in front of the center. Running his hands along the wood, he noticed that it was hand made. There was a stereo system and a 32" screen television. Opening a cabinet, he found blank video tapes, a VCR and numerous CDs. 

Ray began laughing as he picked up some of the CDs. They were definitely Fraser's. They consisted of John Denver, ABBA, classical music and some guy named Stan Rogers. There were a few other ones that he didn't bother to look at. Turning the stereo on, the soft strains of violins filled the room. He turned the volume up, noticing the clarity of the speakers. "Not bad Benny. But why all the stuff? This ain't like you." *I wonder what else he's done?* 

Walking into the kitchen, Ray was shocked again. "Shit." The entire kitchen was done as well. New linoleum, wallpaper and painting had all been done. The cabinets were refinished and had new hardware attached. Opening up cabinet after cabinet, he saw all new dishes and glasses. And there were groceries. Boxes of brownie mixes, spaghetti. This was something different. At the apartment that Fraser lived in, he never had food laying around like this. 

A message board was hanging on the wall next to the phone. He read the only note on it and smiled. It was a small heart with the initials F.V. in it. Opening the refrigerator, he found it to be practically empty. "At least some things are the same."With a puzzled look, Ray saw a six pack of beer on the bottom shelf. Taking a bottle, he opened it and took a long swig. He smiled at the paper under a Molson Canadian magnet on the front of the refrigerator. It read 'Ray - Beer', and it was written in Fraser's flawless handwriting. The beer was for him. 

Walking back into the living room, he smiled again. None of this was for Fraser. It was all for his sister. If Fraser was going to live here alone, the place would have been barren, just like the old apartment. Taking another sip of beer, Ray nodded his head in appreciation of it all. "You are one lucky woman Frannie." Setting the beer down, he began to change. He still couldn't believe that Fraser was marrying his sister. Was it right? He still had some nagging doubts, but from what he had seen in the past few months, he knew they would be happy together. Or at least he hoped they would. He didn't know if he could take the two of them being unhappy. 

Turning his head, Ray watched as Fraser walked down the stairs and back into the living room. This time he had on socks and his jophers, the suspenders hung down by his legs. Ray motioned around the room. "I see you've done some work on the house since I was here last." "Yes Ray." "What's with all that?" He gestured at the entertainment center. "Francesca likes to watch certain programs. And she likes music." "You did all of this...the house, the t.v. and stuff, the kitchen...all of it's for Frannie?" Fraser stood stiffly as he looked back at Ray and then he looked down at the floor. "Yes, she deserves it. She's making a lot of concessions by marrying me. She could have done...better." 

As Fraser pulled on a crisp white henley, Ray stared at him in shock. "You think Frannie could've done better than you? What do you mean by that?" Fraser looked embarrassed as he reached for his boots and remained silent "Benny...what did you mean by that?" Fraser opened his mouth to speak and quickly shut it, opting to begin lacing a boot instead. "You don't think you're good enough for Frannie?" Ray started laughing, but stopped when he noticed how quiet Fraser was."You're serious." 

Without looking up at Ray, he finally started speaking. "I really don't have that much to offer her Ray. I don't own this house, the land that I do own is in Canada and the only way I could move up in the R.C.M.P. would be if I left Chicago." "I don't know, Frannie would disagree with you. You've never hit her..." Fraser's head came up to look at Ray, clearly upset that he had even thought of something like that. "You love her, you did all of this for her. What more can you give? Benny, she's happy for the first time in her life." 

"Do you really thinks so?" "Ya know, you're really somethin. Have you ever bothered to look at what you have to offer? Do you know how pissed off half the woman at the precinct are? They're mad at Frannie 'cause she got you. Hell! Marry me, forget her!" Fraser stared laughing. "I'm serious Benny. For one thing, look at you. You look damn good." Fraser's dropped his gaze back down to the floor, slowly turning pink. "Face it Benny, you do. Second, you fixed this place up for Frannie, not for you. Everything you've done is to make her happy. You love her, no matter how much she pisses you off and she knows this. You tell her all the time how much you love her. What more could she want?" 

Fraser began lacing the second boot. "She could have found someone who had a better job. Someone who could have given her more." Ray laughed sarcastically. "Benny, she did that before. Gino had money and he had a big house. He also treated Frannie like a piece of shit. She knows you'll never do that to her." Fraser stood up and grabbed a towel and rebuffed his boots. "I don't want her to regret marrying me." "God! You have 'no' confidence whatsoever when it comes to your own life. Believe me, if she regrets anythin, it's not gettin you to marry her sooner. And isn't it a little too late to be thinkin about this?" 

Fraser slipped his suspenders over his shoulders and pulled his serge on. "Yes it is, but I still think about it." "Well, knock it off! You'll be happy here. Shit, I'd be happy here! You have a huge t.v.." Ray grinned and pulled on his trousers. "You know I'll be over here for the Bull's games." "I was hoping you would. We could have pizza and chips. Nothing will really change." Ray snickered. "Yeah, somethings will change. My sister's name will be Frannie Fraser. That sounds like a cartoon, Benny." 

"She did have the option of not changing her name. We had discussed it." Ray sputtered out his laughter. "Uh huh. Like she wouldn't change it. Benny, she's gonna flaunt it at the precinct that she's your wife. She's gloated about it already. That ring you gave her has been shoved in so many faces, it ain't even funny." "I still don't understand it all." Ray stopped fixing his tie and grabbed Fraser by the shoulders and shoved him over to a mirror. 

"Look. How many times do you have to be told. Look at yourself."   
Fraser pushed back against Ray and twisted around, grabbing Ray by the shoulders and shoved him in front of the mirror. "What is so different between me and you, Ray?" Fraser smiled. "Meg thinks you're handsome." 

Ray twisted away from Fraser. "We're not talkin about me. You're the one gettin married today." He grinned at Fraser. "You must not see anything in the mirror when you look in it." Fraser gave an exasperated sigh. "Ray...I see myself, nothing more." "Uh huh. The next time you're just seein yourself, take a good look and see what Frannie sees." Ray looked down at his watch and his grin turned into a wide smile. "You better grab your stuff and get movin. It's t minus one hour before you tie the knot." 

He watched Fraser as he carefully gathered the remaining pieces of his uniform. Then he walked over to a draw and withdrew two small boxes and handed them to Ray. "The rings." Ray hefted the boxes, acting like they were heavy. "You mean the chains." Fraser sighed again and shook his head. "No Ray. They're rings." Ray tucked the boxes in his jacket pocket and patted them. "Chains Benny. You'll be stuck with Frannie the rest of your life once you put it on her finger." "I believe that is the idea."

Leaving the house, Fraser locked the door. He waved across the street to Mrs. Rizzo, who was standing on her front porch. She smiled and waved back before going into her house. Ray gave Fraser a confused look as they climbed into the Riv. "Mrs. Rizzo's bein nice to ya?" "Yes, I spoke to her yesterday and mentioned that Francesca and I were getting married today and she offered to watch the house." Ray nodded his head in understanding, but his voice was sarcastic. "Oh, okay, that explains it." "Explains what, Ray?" "You're gettin married makes it okay in her mind that you two are all over each other. How much you wanna bet, she offered to baby sit when you two have a kid?" 

Fraser looked out the passenger side window and smiled. The thought of Mrs. Rizzo bouncing a child on her knee wasn't something he could visualize. She reminded him so much of his own grandmother. Stiff, distant and not the most loving person in the world. She had her heart in the right place, but it just didn't 'feel' very much for others. Maybe he had misjudged Mrs. Rizzo. If Ray thought that she would make the offer, then he was probably right. He knew the people in this neighborhood like the back of his hand. They were his people. 

Francesca smoothed down her dress for the third time in as many minutes. Her stomach was doing flip flops and she felt lightheaded and queasy. She hadn't thought that she would feel like this on her wedding day, but the moment she woke up, she had felt nauseous. Grabbing a magazine off her bureau, she fanned herself. Maria looked over at her and smiled as she picked up a small pin made of blue ribbon. As she walked over to Francesca, she recited an old quote. 

"Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue." She talked as she attached the pin to Francesca's dress. "This pin is old. Grams gave it to me when I married Tony. It's blue and it's mine, so there's the borrowed and the blue parts." Patting the pin, she gave it a wistful look. She found herself remembering her own wedding. It seem like forever since she was the one wearing a wedding gown. "Now all you need is something new." 

At that statement, the door to the bedroom opened and Mrs. Vecchio walked in. She smiled at them. Her two daughters looked so beautiful. Memories of them both as infants, briefly flashed through her mind. She quickly pushed them aside, not wanting to start crying in front of them. She was the strong one in the family. They wouldn't see her blubbering like an idiot over something as simple as a wedding. "It's time to go Frannie." 

The moment those words left her mother's lips, Francesca began to tear up. Looking around her room, she knew that this was it. She was leaving home for good this time. Fraser wasn't Gino and she wouldn't come crawling back here in a year or two. Her mother sensed her sadness and laid her hand on Francesca's cheek, smiling gently at her. "Frannie, no matter what, this will always be your home. You know that." Francesca's voice shook slightly as she talked. "I know Ma...it's just..." Taking a deep breath, she could feel the tears threatening to fall. Maria snickered and quickly dabbed at the corners of her sister's eyes. "If you start crying, you'll ruin your makeup." 

All three women chuckled. Francesca had almost no makeup on compared to what she use to wear. Once she knew that she had Fraser, she had unconsciously backed off on using the heavy foundation she use to use. She still loved the bright colored lipsticks and nail polishes, but her face was no longer so heavily made up. Fraser wasn't the only one who had been changed by their relationship. 

Walking down into the foyer, Francesca felt her stomach lurch again. She swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat. As she stumbled slightly, Maria grabbed her by the arm and helped her to the door. "Man, Frannie. You weren't this nervous when you got married before." Mrs. Vecchio smiled as she spoke. "Benton is not Gino either. There is a difference." Maria grinned lewdly. "You ain't kidding he's not Gino!" Mrs. Vecchio gave her a disapproving stare. "Sorry Ma." Francesca laughed and hugged Maria. "You are one sick sister, you know that don't you?" 

"Frannie, one more thing before we go." Mrs. Vecchio reached over to the table by the door and picked up a small box and handed it to her. Francesca opened the box and picked up a thin gold chain with a small gold cross. "This is your 'something new." Mrs. Vecchio took the necklace from her and placed it around her daughter's thin, graceful neck. Francesca again felt the tears coming. "You gave me a necklace when I went to the opera." 

Maria chuckled and handed her a handkerchief. "Can I show her, Ma?" Francesca looked from Maria to her mother, seeing the excitement on their faces. "Show me what?" Mrs. Vecchio nodded her head yes and Maria grew animated. "Uncle Vito kind of found out about a certain fantasy of yours and decided to make it part of his gift to you." Opening the door, Maria urged Francesca out onto the porch. "Oh my God!" 

Francesca squealed happily, gathering her dress in her hands, she ran down to the curb to stand in front of a shiny white stretch limo. Maria and Mrs. Vecchio walked up behind her. "Pretty nice of Uncle Vito don't you think?" Maria opened the door and Francesca scrambled in. "Frannie, you'll ruin your dress if you aren't careful!" Maria waited for Mrs. Vecchio to slowly get in and then she followed. All three of them settled back against the buttery soft leather seats. As soon as Francesca arranged her gown, she looked excited around her. 

"Look!" She leaned over and snatched a recently opened bottle of champagne that lay in a container of ice. Grabbing a glass, she pour herself a generous portion and took a sip. "Oh, this is too good. I can't believe Uncle Vito did this!" Maria picked up a glass and held it out to Francesca who eagerly filled the glass with the sparkling liquid. "Ma?" "Yes please." Francesca poured a glass for her mother. Maria grinned and raised her glass. "To Uncle Vito." They all laughed and clinked their glasses together. 

Maria sipped at her champagne and smiled. "Uncle Vito said there was no way the little princess was going to get married without her carriage." Francesca took a sip, her eyes scrunching up in confusion. "How come he didn't do this for me the last time I got married?" Maria snorted and rolled her eyes. "Because he hated Gino." "Really? Ma is that true?" Mrs. Vecchio stared at her glass, swirling the champagne around. "It is true. He almost didn't come to your first wedding. He thought that Gino was...let us just say he did not think of him as a man." Francesca sat back and grew quiet. 

Sensing her change in mood Mrs. Vecchio tried to bring back the previous merriment. "Your Uncle Vito see Benton as a suitable choice for you." Francesca quickly sat up, almost spilling her drink in the process. "Benton's gonna be mad! He didn't want a limo." Maria smiled as their mother spoke. "No Francesca, Benton thought that this was an expense that you did not need. He will find out that this was a gift to you and will say nothing more of it. If it is for you, he will not care." Francesca sighed happily as she dipped a finger in her glass and then ran it around the rim, listening to the musical sound it produced. "You're right Ma. He's givin me everything." Maria mumbled under her breath. "I bet he does." Mrs. Vecchio and Francesca both gave Maria shocked looks. Maria smiled back at them. "What?"

Ray watched Fraser as he checked his uniform for the third time. "Benny, you look perfect. There's not a speck of dust on your scotch guarded body." "I'd like to be certain Ray." He grinned as Fraser brought his hands up to the collar of his red tunic. *Well I'll be damned. The bastard's nervous.* Fraser's hands trembled slightly as he readjusted the Velcro closing. "You're nervous aren't you, Benny?" Fraser paused, then gave him a slight nod of yes. "Well, speaking from experience, you have nothin to be nervous about. You go out there, say your vows, put the ring on Frannie's finger, give her a little kiss and boom! You're married." 

Fraser exhaled loudly and cracked his neck. He began to slowly pace the room. "I know Ray, it's just..." He stopped in place, not knowing what to say. He couldn't convey to Ray what he was feeling. "You don't have to tell me, Benny. I've been there. This is the moment you've been waitin for. You want to get married, but you don't want to get married. It's kinda like a double edged sword. You love Frannie, but what if she isn't the woman you're gonna spend the rest of your life with." Fraser stared back at Ray and quickly shook his head no. 

"It's not that Ray, it's...is Francesca going to be happy with me?" Ray sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Benny...she's ecstatic. You have nothin to worry about. If that's the only thing that's bothering you, then stop worrying! How many times do I hafta tell you this?" Fraser began pacing the room again. Moving to the door he looked out into the church. His voice was a whisper. "Dear Lord." "What's the matter Benny?" 

Ray walked over to stand by Fraser. Laying a hand on his shoulder, he steered Fraser away from the door. "Um...I guess Frannie forgot to tell you about the increase in guests?" Fraser looked stunned. "Ray...there must be well over a hundred people out there. We were only to have approximately twenty-five guests." Ray took a deep breath. He wanted Fraser to calm down a little before they got out there. 

"Look...Aunt Yolanda was talkin to Ma and asked when she was gettin her invitation. When Ma told her that you two were keepin it small, she kinda freaked. After that...Ma expanded the wedding a little." "Ray! That is 'not' a little!" Fraser's voice rose slightly, telling Ray all he needed to know. Fraser might be calm when there was a gun trained on him, but getting married...that was an entirely different thing. 

Throwing his hands out Ray raised his voice. "Benny! It's a wedding! Weddings have a way of gettin bigger than you want them to. Don't worry about it! Frannie took care of everythin." "But how will, we pay for all of this? Francesca and I do not have..." Ray smiled and held his hand up and stopped Fraser from going any further. "Uncle Vito likes you Benny. A lot. He said you have manners and you act like a real man. Then he finds out that you went and learned Italian, well he was tickled pink. Frannie's always been his favorite and he's gonna pay for the whole deal." "Ray, he can't do that." 

Ray snickered. "Benny, ya know how ya don't argue with Ma? Like what she says is law?" "Yes." "Well ya don't argue with Uncle Vito. Just smile and say thank you." Fraser shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Yes Ray." As he began to pace around the room once more, Ray shook his head. Fraser was one nervous wreck. *Please God, let this get over soon.* 

Once the limousine had reached the church, the three woman made their way to the back entrance. Francesca remembered another wedding where she had taken this same path. She knew in her heart that this would be different. There wouldn't be voices raised in anger...well at least not too much...and she would never have to worry about Fraser ever hitting her. This was her fairy tale wedding with the happy ending that she had always dreamed about. 

Francesca stood as still as she could as Maria double checked the back of her gown. Circling around her petite frame, Maria smiled. "You're beautiful Frannie." Francesca slowly fanned herself with her bouquet of cream colored roses, feeling her stomach lurch. "I don't feel beautiful." *God it's hot in here!* Mrs. Vecchio came up to Francesca and cupped her face in her hands. "Frannie, you 'are' beautiful. You have been since you were born." 

Her vision blurred as she teared up. Hugging her mother tightly, she began to cry. "Frannie, don't cry, you're mascara will run." Mrs. Vecchio took a tissue from Maria and wiped gently at her daughters cheeks. "I'm sorry Ma. I don't know why...I mean I never cried like this before." Francesca's head snapped toward the door as the soft strains of the organ playing filtered into the room. Maria grinned. "They're playing your song." 

Hurriedly wiping a hand across her cheeks, she let Maria check her face and dress once more. She picked up a small white bible and an old silver rosary with white beads. Mrs. Vecchio smiled again and gave her cheek a light kiss. "Do not forget...you are always my daughter first and then Benton's wife." Giving her mother a shaky smile, she watched her leave the room. Maria stepped back and looked at the nervous figure before her. If she didn't know any better she would have sworn that Francesca was having second thoughts. "Are you ready Frannie?" 

Taking a deep breath, Francesca tried smiling back at Maria, but it quickly faded. She felt jumpy and queasy at the same time. The closer it came time for her to walk down that long isle, the more she had trouble breathing. *God, please don't let me pass out.* Closing her eyes, she tried to calm down. This was Fraser she was marrying, not Gino, not some local doofus that would want her to act like their mother and a whore combined. Looking back at Maria, she finally was able to let a small grin appear. "Yeah...I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

 

Ray's hand came up and he slapped Fraser on the shoulder. "Time to go Benny." He choked back his laughter at the expression on Fraser's face. This must have been the squirrel look that Frannie had talked about. Giving Fraser a small push, they walked out of the side room and out toward the alter. Ray could see every set of eyes following them. Well, maybe not them. He knew that everyone was checking out Fraser. As he scanned the crowd, his eyes rested on Thatcher. She smiled at him. Apparently not all the eyes were for Fraser after all. He smiled back at her as he urged Fraser forward. 

They stood for a few moments before the strains of the wedding march began to play. As soon as the first notes were in the air, Ray looked at Fraser and smiled again. Mister calm, cool and collected was breathing rapidly, his hands tightly clenched by his side. Leaning toward him, Ray whispered to Fraser. "If you don't relax Benny, you'll pass out." Fraser didn't even turn his head to acknowledge him, his sight was trained toward the back of the church. Following his gaze, Ray saw at what he was staring at. "Jesus." 

Maria was slowly making her way down the isle. Further behind her, Francesca stood at the arched doorway. She looked like one of those tiny old fashioned porcelain dolls that he had seen in the antiques district. This was his little sister, looking like a grown up woman. He had to admit that she had never looked more beautiful than she did now. Peeking back at Fraser he saw that he no longer had that panicked, glassy eyed look. His hands now hung loosely at his side and he was actually smiling. 

Francesca stepped out into the church and could immediately feel every pair of eyes turn in her direction. She felt her stomach tie up in knots as she watched Maria walk down the isle. Tucking her head down slightly, she reached out and grabbed onto Welsh's arm. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, looking at her sister's foot marks etched in the white paper beneath her. She could feel herself blacking out. *Don't pass out! Breath!* Sucking in a deep breath, she tightened her grip on Welsh's arm. His small murmur of, "Are you all right, Ms. Vecchio?" seemed like it was shouted at her. She quickly nodded her head yes and kept walking. 

Taking a deep breath, she raised her head, her eyes locking with Fraser's. He smiled at her and she could feel herself smiling back at him like an idiot. She still felt nauseous and lightheaded, but not in the terrified way she had only moments ago. As they neared the alter, Welsh moved to 'hand' her over to Fraser. Welsh gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered in her ear. "You'll do fine." As he moved away from her, she took Fraser's hands in her own, startled to feel them trembling in her grasp. He was just as nervous as she was! 

Fraser's normally warm fingers were ice cold. Squeezing them, she moved closer to him. The moment that Father Behan opened his mouth, she began shaking. This was it. No more waiting, no more wondering. This was until death do they part. She could feel Fraser looking at her, so she tilted her face up to look back at him. This time his smile was more relaxed. He moved closer to her, his grip growing tighter. "Frannie." Both their heads snapped up when they realized that Father Behan had already gone through most of the litany and was at the part where he was asking Francesca the big question. 

Fraser blushed and kept his voice low. "Father, could you repeat the question please." Father Behan smiled at them, the laughter in his voice evident as he repeated the old phrase. "Francesca Annamarie Veronica Vecchio, will you take Benton Robert Fraser here present, for your lawful husband, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Catholic church? To love and to honor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" 

Swallowing the queasy feeling in her stomach, Francesca spoke her vows. "I, Francesca Annamarie Veronica Vecchio, take you, Benton Robert Fraser, for my husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Maria stepped up beside Francesca and handed her Fraser's wedding band. Francesca rolled the ring in her fingers, trying to keep her hands steady. Taking Fraser's left hand, she slid the gold band on his finger. "With this ring I thee wed, and pledge thee my troth." She let out the breath she was holding. *One down and one to go.* 

Father Behan turned back to Fraser. "Benton Robert Fraser, will you take Francesca Annamarie Veronica Vecchio here present, for your lawful wife, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Catholic church? To love and to honor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" 

Fraser gave Francesca's hand a light squeeze as he spoke, his voice slightly shaky. "I, Benton Robert Fraser, take you, Francesca Annamarie Veronica Vecchio, for my wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Ray stepped forward and handed Francesca's small band over to him. As he slid the ring slowly onto her finger, he smiled down at her, this time his voice was strong and steady. "With this ring I thee wed, and pledge thee my troth." 

Father Behan smiled brightly at them and then looked out into the congregation. "Anyone who feels that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was a loud coff from Ray, causing everyone in the church to turn to him in stunned silence. Fraser closed his eyes briefly. Was Ray going to voice his objections now? Ray gave them all a guilty look. "Excuse me." 

Father Behan raised an eyebrow at Ray. "Do you have any objections to be voiced Raymond?" "Um...no Father...I just...I had to cough that's all. Sorry." Maria shot Ray a dirty look. "What? I said I'm sorry." Fraser gave Ray an odd look and turned his gaze to Francesca. She looked both angry and terrified at the same time. He leaned down slightly and whispered to her. "Are you all right Francesca?" She hissed back at him, livid. "He's gonna pay for that!" 

Father Behan gave Ray one last look. "May we continue?" Ray felt his face growing hot. *God, all I did was cough! Geez!* "Yes Father." He peeked out into the church and saw Thatcher and his family all glaring at him. *Oh come on!* Father Behan turned back to the congregation. "Being that there are no 'objections'...by the powers vested in me by Pope John Paul the second and the Catholic church, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He smiled at Fraser and motioned toward Francesca. "You may now kiss the bride." 

Feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, Francesca leaned forward, expecting Fraser to give her a chaste kiss. Instead, he wrapped his arms possessively around her, kissing her deeply. A warm secure feeling surrounded her as they kissed. This was what she had always wanted. Even Ray couldn't stop her from getting what she desired. "Ahem!" Father Behan loudly cleared his throat and they quickly broke apart. He took them both by the shoulders and turned them so that they faced the congregation .She heard a few chuckles echo through the church. 

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Benton Robert Fraser." Turnbull, who had been sitting toward the front jumped to his feet and began clapping loudly. Before she knew it, the rest of the guests and family joined him. Ray rolled his eyes. "You would have thought they were royalty or somethin." Giggling, Francesca hugged Fraser. They had finally done it. They were married. Turning away from Fraser, she hugged Father Behan. "Thank you for everything Father." "You're welcome Frannie. I believe I won't be seeing you in confessional as much now will I?" He smiled as she blushed. "No Father, I don't think you will." Fraser gave her a confused look. "I'll explain later." "Oh." 

Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled Fraser down the isle as the music played. She wanted to get the rest of the stuff done with so she could party! As they stood at the back of the church, they greeted everyone as they filed out. With each hug and kiss, she wished she hadn't let the wedding grow so large. If it would have stayed small, they could have been at the reception already. 

Fraser leaned down to her and whispered in her ear as she smiled and nodded at a cousin. "Francesca, why didn't you tell me about the increase in guests?" She froze momentarily and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Because I knew you would freak. Does it really matter? Ma said everything was taken care of." "That is not the point Francesca. Ray said that your Uncle Vito paid for all of this." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "He did? I didn't know he had that kind of money. I thought Ma paid for most of it." 

She grinned at him. "And don't you mean 'our' Uncle Vito?" She watched a small smile appear on Fraser's face. He now had a huge family, where before he had no one. She knew by the look on his face that there wouldn't be an argument over the number of guests again. Focusing herself on the people in front of her, she went about the task of saying thank you for coming and glad you're here. She hadn't realized just how many people were in her family. 

It seemed to take forever to greet them all. Every single person wanted to say more than a few words of encouragement to them. She watched Fraser out of the corner of her eye. Several people grabbed him in big hugs, patted his cheeks or kissed him. The expression on his face was tense at first, but he slowly relaxed as the line moved past him. He wasn't a touchy feely guy by nature, but she knew that after today, he wouldn't be as stiff around anyone that was family. 

When Uncle Vito came up to them, she grabbed him in a bone crushing hug. "Thank you for everything Uncle Vito." He smiled at her and patted her cheek affectionately. "Nothing is too good for the little princess." He looked up at Fraser and smiled broadly. As Fraser shook his hand, he spoke loudly to him. "You...you're a real man. Nothing like that worthless animal that she had the misfortune of marrying before." 

Francesca bit her lip. Fraser looked flustered and stood silently looking at 'their' uncle, not knowing what to say. She gently placed her hand on his back and then she pinched his ass. Jumping slightly, Fraser gave her a dirty look, then turned back to face Uncle Vito. He began to speak quickly in Italian, causing the older man to smile again. They only spoke a few minutes, but as Uncle Vito shuffled away, Francesca knew that Fraser was definitely a family favorite. 

As the last well wisher passed through the church doors, Fraser breathed a sigh of relief. The Vecchio family experience could be a tiring one. Pulling Francesca to him, he hugged her slight frame, closing his eyes in contentment. As he relaxed, a slap to his shoulder jolted him out of his calm revere, causing him to jump slightly.   
ÊÊÊ "Okay Benny, it's time for the photo shoot." Looking past Ray, Fraser saw a photographer walking toward them. The man was herding the family in the direction of the alter. Fraser looked down at Francesca who shrugged her shoulders. "Uncle Vito?" Mrs. Vecchio smiled at them. "Yes Francesca. He said you are to throw your old wedding photos away." Francesca shook her head yes. "That's a good idea, but I'll keep the ones of family and just me. I'll ditch the rest of 'em."   
ÊÊÊ As Fraser opened his mouth to question her actions, the photographer came up to them and motioned them to join everyone else. He hooked a thumb in the direction of Thatcher who was standing by the pews, waiting for them. "Is she in the pictures?" Before Ray could say yes or no, Thatcher answered for him. "No, I'm not family." Fraser smiled slightly. *Not yet.* At one time he hadn't considered himself family either.   
ÊÊÊ With each flash of the camera, Ray could see Fraser's posture stiffen. *What's the matter with him now?* As the photographer paused to change lens', Ray watched as Francesca and Fraser whispered to one another. When she rolled her eyes, he knew that they were arguing. "Benny." "Yes Ray?" "Just relax, it's almost over." Francesca nudged him with an elbow. "See Benton, I told you so."   
ÊÊÊ Once the family photos were taken, the photographer began taking pictures of just Francesca and Benton. Ray had to admit that the pair looked really good together. Fraser had managed to relax slightly and it showed in his smiles. They were genuine, not the ones that Ray knew Fraser reserved for most people. That changed quickly. Without even asking, the photographer came up to them and positioned them. Pulling Francesca by the arm, he grabbed Fraser by the front of his serge and moved him forward slightly. Fraser stared down at the offending hand causing Ray to snicker.   
ÊÊÊ Just as he looked like he was going to snap the picture, the photographer walked up and grabbed the stetson from the front pew and plopped it unceremoniouslyÊ on Fraser's head. Ray choked back his laughter as Fraser openly glared at the man. Maria nudged Ray and laughed. "Benton, you've been hanging around Ray too much." Fraser's glare changed to a confused expression. Maria made an angry scowl at him, then burst out laughing as Fraser tucked his head down in embarrassment.   
ÊÊÊ Francesca felt the grip of Fraser's hand tightened around hers. She had thought that once the ceremony was over he would have relaxed. He almost did until the photographer grabbed the stetson. She looked at him, noticing the tight look around his eyes. She didn't want to have a wedding day picture of him looking miserable. She had enough of those of Gino. Just as the photographer positioned himself for the last picture, she held a hand up. "Wait a minute."   
ÊÊÊ Pulling Fraser away from the alter, she frowned at him. "Benton, what's wrong? You're supposed to be happy." "I...for one this man is...irritating." He leaned down to her and whispered. "And I don't like the idea of your Uncle paying for all of this. It isn't proper." Taking his hands in hers, she kissed them and smiled up at him. "They're gifts. Uncle Vito is doing all of this because we're family. Do you know what that means? 'All' of the people we just shook hands with...they're 'your' family now."   
ÊÊÊ "But I don't..." "But nothing. It's okay if family gives you stuff. You'd better get use to it. I can bet you a hundred dollars that we'll have a ton of cards and gifts to open." She gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "Benton, they all like you. Uncle Vito is your Uncle now too. Would you refuse a gift from your Dad if he were here?" A smile slowly crept it's way across his lips. "No." "Good. Then we're in agreement here. Now let's get this picture done so we can go and have some fun."   
ÊÊÊ Pulling him back to the alter, Francesca grabbed Fraser's arms and put them around her waist. Leaning back against him, she smiled up at him. He looked down at her and returned her smile with one of his own. "Perfect!" The camera clicked and then the photographer began to pack up his equipment. Leaning further down, Fraser place a kiss on Francesca's upturned face. Now maybe he could relax and enjoy the rest of the day.   
Ê   
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ÊÊÊ Francesca pulled away from Fraser and smiled excitedly at him. "Are you ready to go Benton?" "Yes, I've been ready for quite some time now." "Oh, just relax. This is the fun part. We run through..." "Run? Francesca, wouldn't walking be more dignified?" She stared back at him like he was nuts. "Have you ever had a group of about a hundred people throwing bird seed at you?" "No." "Well let me tell you, it's not fun. It stings and you can't see. We won't be safe until we get in...outside."   
ÊÊÊ Fraser looked calmly at her. "Until what Francesca?" "Um...nothing...well it's something small really. Well...Uncle Vito also got me a limo." "He rented you a limousine? Why would he do that? We only have a short walk to the hall." Ray, who had walked up behind Fraser, clapped him on the shoulder. "Not anymore. While everyone gets settled in at the hall, you and Frannie can go for a little ride. Then you come back and make your grand entrance."   
ÊÊÊ Fraser looked from one smiling Vecchio to the other. "I don't think..." Francesca grabbed Fraser by the arm and began pulling him toward the door. "That's right Benton. You don't have to think about it. It's already been paid for. It's a gift for me, from Uncle Vito." "Come on Benny. How many time will you get the chance to ride in a limo?" "Well, actually Ray, being that I work at the consulate..." "Okay...let me rephrase that. How many times will 'Frannie' get to ride in a limo?" Fraser looked back at Francesca, who had a grin plastered on her face. "Very well." Her grin widened. "Like you had a choice anyway."   
ÊÊÊ Ray began backing away from the pair. "How about you two give the rest of us some time to get out front and then you can come out." Maria smiled over at them and began ushering the rest of the family out. Compared to the bustle and noise of the last hour, the church seemed deafeningly quiet. With nothing to do, Francesca began to fidget, twisting the rings around her finger. It took her a second to realize that there were now two rings, instead of one.   
ÊÊÊ Bringing her hand up, she took a close look at the intricately designed ivy pattern on the wedding band. "Benton, this is beautiful." Moving her hand next to his, she looked at the larger duplicate band on Fraser's finger. At that moment it hit her. They were actually married. They had the license and rings to prove it. Smiling, she reached up and hugged him tightly. "Well...we finally did it." He returned her hug and whispered in her ear. "Not yet."   
ÊÊÊ She pulled away from him, slightly shocked by his statement. He never ceased to amaze her. One moment he would be shy and withdrawn and in a heart beat he was whispering lewd comments in her ear. As he smiled down at her, she smirked. "Then I guess we need to take care of that don't we?" Pulling him closer to the exit, she opened the heavy wooden door. Looping her arm through his, she smiled up at him. "Let's go have some fun Benton."   
ÊÊÊ They stepped out into the cool crisp air, making their way past the throng of family and friends. She squinted and cursed under her breath. She was right about the birdseed. It stung like a sun of a bitch just as she had remembered. *Whoever thought of this stupid custom should be shot!* Ray stood next to the limo, holding the door open for them, grinning like he was the one who had just gotten married. Fraser helped her in, making sure that she was settled before he followed her. Ray leaned in before closing the door.   
ÊÊÊÊ "Have a nice ride...Mr. and Mrs. Fraser." Francesca smiled, the tone in her voice suggestive "Oh, I'm sure we will." Reaching past Fraser, she pushed Ray back, laughing at the startled look on his face. Grabbing the door handle she quickly pulled it shut. After hitting the power door and window locks, she leaned back in her seat and sighed. "I'm so glad that's over with." She picked up a new bottle of champagne that was opened, sitting in a fresh bucket of ice. *Uncle Vito, you are an angel!* Pouring a glass, she held it out to Fraser. He stared at it before shaking his head no.   
ÊÊÊ "No thank you, Francesca." She sighed again, this time in irritation. "Oh come on. One glass of champagne is 'not' the same as that drinking binge you did." Fraser opened his mouth to protest and she quickly cut him off. This was her wedding day and what she wanted, she intended on getting. "You said you would toast the Queen. Uncle Vito says that I'm a princess. Isn't that the same?" He hesitated before taking the glass from her. She poured another glass for herself. Smiling, she raised her glass. "Here's to us. Long may we reign."   
ÊÊÊ Clinking their glasses together, she watched Fraser take a cautious sip. She drained her glass, grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass. Tilting her head back, she drank that back as well. Fraser eyed her. "Francesca...do you think it's wise to be drinking so fast?" She hiccuped and grinned, waving her empty glass at him. "Benton...I plan on getting nice and fuzzy. Once I'm pregnant, I won't be able to drink anything. Besides, did you see the brand of this stuff? There's no way I'm gonna let this go to waste."   
ÊÊÊ Pouring herself a third glass, she looked into the empty bottle and giggled. "See. All gone." Tossing the bottle to the carpeted floor, she slowly sipped the glassful of champagne, savoring the taste, letting the bubbles tickle her tongue. When she took the last sip, she ran her finger inside the glass, then suckled her finger. She noticed that Fraser followed her every movement. With an evil grin she set the glass down and moved to sit against him. Running her hand up his thigh, she kissed his neck. "How about we make a baby?"   
ÊÊÊ Fraser pulled away from her. "Francesca, you've had too much to drink. We can't..." "Oh yes we can! We're married Benton!" She waved her rings in his face. "See these? These mean that I can do you anytime, anywhere and it's legal." She lowered her voice. "Remember my fantasy?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Fraser got a thoughtful look on his face and then he gave her a surprised look. "You wanted me to...us to..." His eyes widened as she ran her hand up the inside of his thigh.   
ÊÊÊ "Francesca, we can't do that. The driver will see us and hear us." She smiled and shook her head no as she pointed at the glass partition and the control panel overhead. "I checked it out already. He can't see us, but we can see him. And I've switched off the speakers. You could be screaming at him and he wouldn't hear you." She leaned over the seat and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Hey you! My husband's gonna fuck me! Is that okay with you?!" Fraser grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down.   
ÊÊÊ "Francesca!" She leaned against him and inched her hand down, running her fingers gently over his crotch. "Let's do it. I want you now." Fraser looked at the driver who had never looked back at them when she had screamed. He turned his head back, finding his face only inches from hers. "But..." She practically purred as she spoke. "Yeah, you have a cute butt and it's been too long since I've touched it." He smiled slightly as he held her tighter.   
ÊÊÊ "What about your dress?" She kissed him on the nose. "What about it? The pictures are done and it'll just look like I've sat too long." Pushing back slightly, she began to unbutton her gown. With each button, a bit of skin was bared. And with each inch of skin that appeared, she noticed that Fraser's eyes hungrily followed the path of her hands. She saw a brief flash of disappointment from him when she stopped at her waist. Leaning forward, she rested her hands on his shoulders, staring into his darkened eyes. "So...do you wanna do it?"   
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ÊÊÊ Without waiting for his answer, Francesca moved slowly, placing gentle kisses on Fraser's brow, working her way to his lips. Running her tongue along his lips, he opened his mouth to let her in. Sliding her arms around his neck, she deepened their kiss, feeling a tingle go down her spine as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Leaning against him, they fell back on the seat. She pulled back and began working the collar and buttons of his serge open.   
ÊÊÊ "I'm glad your dress uniform doesn't have the leather stuff." While she undid his tunic, Fraser ran his hands lightly over her breasts, letting his thumbs brush her nipples through the silk material of her bra. He smiled as they hardened under his caress. Moving his hands downward, he felt the tightness of her lean stomach, wondering how she would look when she was pregnant. She was so small and tight now, that it seemed almost impossible that she could even look like that.   
ÊÊÊ Francesca pushed open his serge and looked down at Fraser's smiling face. Placing her hands on his chest, she smiled back at him. "What are you smiling for?" He gave her a shy look. "I'm trying to picture you with child." Snickering, she reached down and rubbed at the growing bulge in his jophers. "I'm picturing this." Squeezing him, she delighted in the way his face changed at her touch. "You missed me doing this, didn't you?" He small nod of yes was all the response she got from him.   
ÊÊÊ Tugging at the red serge material, Francesca urged Fraser to shift so she could pull the tunic off. Tossing it carelessly to the floor, she watched his eyes follow the jacket. She took his face in her hands and made him look back at her. "It won't get dirty." Sitting up, she undid the rest of her gown. Fraser lay back, unmoving as he watched her. Glancing at him, she smiled slightly. "You know...we don't have much time. It would help if you at least got these down." She nodded her head at his jophers.   
ÊÊÊÊÊ She giggled as he undid them, yanking them down to his knees, taking his boxers along with them. She stared back at him, letting gaze rest on his hardened penis. "Now that's a sight for sore eyes." She was happily rewarded with a small blush from him. "So Benton...are you ready for a quickie?" His answer was to reach up and grab her, pulling him down onto his chest. He smiled as he studied each curve and plane of her face. This was how he wanted to always remember her. Beautiful olive skin, unmarred by worry or age. Dark sparkling eyes that could show love as well as laughter.   
ÊÊÊ Her lips parted as she drew in a deep breath. Lips that he wanted to taste forever. Placing a hand behind her head, he drew her down, softly kissing her. Deepening the kiss, he trailed a hand down her back, grabbing her ass while he pushed his hips against her. Maneuvering Francesca so that she lay beneath him, he sucked at her tongue, loving the taste of her. Hearing her small moan caused his heart to race. Sliding his hand downward, he pushed aside silk panties, meeting the soft curls that led the way to her sex. He always marveled at how soft the wiry looking hair was. Everything about Francesca was soft and yielding to his touch.   
ÊÊÊ As he moved his fingers to rub at her sex, she wrapped a hand tightly around his neck. He moaned as she wrapped the fingers of her other hand around his erection. They softly touched and stroked one another, reveling in the sensations that they aroused in each other. Kissing a path down her neck, Fraser bit her collar bone as he pushed a finger into her wetness. Her breathy whisper in his ear tickled. "I know something bigger that I'd like to have in me."   
ÊÊÊ He chuckled. Leave it to Francesca to let him know exactly what she wanted. That was one of her many qualities that made him love her so. "I believe that I could accommodate you." He looked down at Francesca and then up toward the front of the limo. "Francesca, are you positive that the driver can't see us?" She laughed and tugged at his erection, watching him grit his teeth. "If he could see us, I wouldn't be doing this." Looking back at her he smiled. "Understood."   
ÊÊÊ Sitting back, Fraser pulled her panties off, tossing them to the floor on top of his serge. She raised an eyebrow at him. "My aren't we daring today." Leaning over her, he pushed her bra up and gently cupped a breast. Her breathing quicken as he leaned down to suckle a nipple. "Benton, I love you dearly, but we need to go a little faster. We don't have that much time before we're back at the hall."   
ÊÊÊ Settling between her legs, he frowned as he looked down at the gown bunched beneath her. "Francesca, I don't want to ruin your gown." With a small sigh, she liftedÊ her hips slightly and yanked the material above her waist. "Is that better?" Giving her the once over, he nodded his head yes. "It will do, but your dress will be rather...wrinkled." Tightly squeezing his erection, she spoke through gritted teeth. "Enough about my gown. I want you now."   
ÊÊÊ Without another word, Fraser lowered himself, pushing her legs apart. Guiding himself into her opening, he pushed into her warmth. Tucking his head against her breast, he breathed deep breaths. It was taking all his control to not cum. He had wanted her so much these past few weeks...and now that he had her, he didn't know if he would last all that long. He began to mentally recite portions of a recent city law that he had read at Ray's desk. Anything that would distract him so that he wouldn't ruin this moment for her was a godsend.   
ÊÊÊ Slowly thrusting into her, he tried concentrating on the words from the manual, but her tightness that surrounded him was all that he could think of. Quickening his thrusts, he pulled back so that he could look down at her. Francesca lay beneath him, her mouth parted, eyes closed in blissful joy. "God Francesca...you're so lovely." She looked up at him as a moan escaped her. He felt her convulse around his length. "I'm sorry...Benton." She pushed her head back as she moaned again. Apparently she had been as ready as he had been.   
ÊÊÊ Without any warning, he came. He felt the strong pulsing of his cock within her. He smiled slightly as some small part of his brain connected each pulse as a release of a part of himself. He was planting a seed in a moist garden, hoping that the soil was fertile. With a loud groan, he pushed one final time into her. Breathing heavily, he leaned down and kissed her. "I feel much better Francesca. Thank you kindly." She laughed and ran a hand down his back. "So...do you think we made a baby or what?" He shook his head and laughed softly. It seemed that they were both obsessed with producing a child now, not later.   
ÊÊÊ "If we didn't this time, I'm sure we'll be successful in a later attempt." "I hope so." Leaning down he kissed her tenderly. As the limo bumped beneath them and Fraser pulled out from Francesca in a panic. "Benton! What's wrong?" He frantically looked around. Snatching some tissue from a container, he began to clean himself off. "Those were the railroad tracks. We're only a few blocks from the church." "What?!"   
ÊÊÊ Francesca hurriedly sat up and began frantically buttoning her gown. She laughed as she fumbled with the buttons. She was half naked and Fraser was kneeling on the seat, shoving his still erect penis into his boxers. "This is ridiculous. We shouldn't be panicking. We're married." Fraser paused to look back at her. "Would you like to explain this to your mother?" "No way!" She yanked her bra into place and grabbed her panties. Pulling them on, she shifted around, trying to smooth her gown out. Fraser had already buttoned his jophers and was now shrugging his serge back on.   
ÊÊÊ The two of them looked at one another and began to giggle uncontrollably. They were both racing to see who would be able to button their clothing the fastest. Fraser's fingers sped nimbly up his tunic, closing the collar before she had even reached the waist of her gown. "This isn't fair. You've buttoned that jacket a million times." He smiled as he fastened the belt and tucked his gloves back into place. "Then let me help you."   
ÊÊÊ He pushed her hands away and expertly buttoned up the front of her gown. Patting the last button, he sat back on the seat. Francesca settled beside him as the limo pulled to a stop in front of the hall. Looking out the window, Fraser nervously ran a finger under his collar. Ray was walking toward the vehicle.   
ÊÊÊ "Francesca...do I look presentable?" She checked his appearance, smiling at the image before her. His uniform was immaculate as always, but his hair was slightly ruffled and his face was still flushed from their little tryst. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his hair. "You look fine. How do I look?" Fraser tried not smiling, but he couldn't resist. Francesca's gown was wrinkled in the most inappropriate areas. Hopefully he would be the only one who would be able to discern how the wrinkles got there. As he followed the trail of buttons going down the front of her gown, his eyes widened.   
ÊÊÊ "Oh dear. Your buttons." "What?" She looked down at herself. "What's wrong? Did I pull one off?" "No. You missed a hole. They're out of alignment." He reached forward and quickly undid the gown to the missed hole, then he rapidly began to rebutton it. They both jerked their heads to look at the limo door next to them. Someone had tried to open it. That someone was Ray. He had his face close to the glass and was trying to peer in at them. They heard his muffled voice. "Benny? Frannie?"

ÊÊÊ Ray pulled at the door and tried looking in the limo. "Man, I can't see a thing. Why are they blacked out like this anyway?" The driver shrugged his shoulders. "It's for privacy." Ray turned to the driver, his eyebrows rising. "Did you see...I mean...do you know if they..." His voice trailed off. *No. They wouldn't do that in there. Would they?* A small smile briefly flickered on the drivers lips. "I have no idea, sir." Ray gave the driver a funny look. What if his sister and the Mountie had been doing something they shouldn't have been doing. What if the driver saw them?! Ray turned back to the limo and knocked on the window.   
ÊÊÊ "Come on you two! You have a lot of people waiting for you." He jumped back as the door flung open. Francesca's voice yelled out from inside. "Oh for crying out loud Ray! Just relax!" She pushed her way out of the limo and waved away Ray's helping hand. Moving a bit from the limo, Ray noticed that his sister was swaying slightly. "You've been drinking haven't you?" He turned back to the limo. "Benny, are you drunk too?"   
ÊÊÊ Fraser stepped out of the limo, avoiding any eye contact with Ray. "No, I'm not drunk Ray. I only had a sip of the champagne." Fraser walked over to Francesca and stood behind her, wrapping his arms protectively around her small figure. Ray leaned into the limo and saw the empty bottle on the floor and Fraser's almost full glass sitting in a glass holder. He didn't notice much of anything else. He was expecting to find a used condom wrapper, but he found nothing.  
ÊÊÊ Closing the door to the limo Ray looked at the driver. "Do we owe you anything?" "No sir, Mr. Vecchio has taken care of it." "Thanks." "My pleasure." The driver turned to Fraser and Francesca, tipping his hat. "Congratulations." Francesca grinned and squeezed Fraser's arm. "No, thank you for the fun ride." The driver went around the limo and into his seat. As the vehicle pulled away, Ray looked back at Fraser and Francesca once more. Their heads were close together and they were whispering to each other. When they kissed, Ray had enough.   
ÊÊÊ "All right you two! Break it up! You have the rest of your lives to do that. Let's get inside so we can eat." Francesca smiled. "Yeah. Eat, drink and be married!" She snickered at her own pun. Ray rolled his eyes and gave Fraser a stern look. "You let her get like this? After all the grief everyone gave me for getting you toasted, you let her get like this?" Fraser tucked his head down slightly. "I'm sorry Ray." "She drank the whole bottle!" "No, she had three glasses." "Three glasses or four, what's the difference? She drunk!"   
ÊÊÊ Francesca twisted around in Fraser's hold and hugged him. "Ray...it's my wedding. I wanted to get fuzzy and relaxed. I don't want to hear any of your shit today." Ray opened his mouth to give her a smart mouthed reply, but his eyes ran down the back of her gown instead. "How in the hell did you wrinkle your dress up so much..." He looked at Fraser who began to blush a light shade of pink. Francesca turned her head around and smiled over her shoulder. "We made a baby if it's any of your business." Fraser's pink blush, now turned a deep red.   
ÊÊÊ Ray's stared at them. "You really did it? In the limo? With the driver and everything? Don't you two have any sense at all!?" Fraser opened his mouth to speak and Ray held his hands up. "I don't want to hear it. You're gonna try and give me some stupid Inuit tale about traveling being good for making kids or somethin." He pointed a finger at Francesca. "You better act right and not embarrass Ma." She stuck her tongue out at him. He waved a hand at them. "I'm goin in. You have one minute and then you need to come in the room. Don't keep everyone waiting."  
ÊÊÊ Ray walked into the building and Francesca snickered. "Did you see his face when I said we made a baby?" Fraser sighed. "Francesca...please don't go announcing to everyone present that we...that...please don't go telling everyone what we did." She patted his chest. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone else. Except for Maria." He closed his eyes. She 'would' tell Maria. "Come on husband of mine. Let's go eat. Then you can dance with me." She pulled Fraser by the hand toward the doors of the hall. Francesca smiled happily. She planned on dancing her feet off tonight.   
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ÊÊÊ Walking into the hall, Ray shook his head in exasperation. Only his sister could talk Fraser into the things that they did. He shivered at the thought of them going at it in the limo. It didn't matter that they were married now, it still seemed wrong to him that Francesca and Fraser did....that. As he walked into the hall, he noticed Thatcher was watching him with interest. He felt a warm glow wash over him. The idea that she even liked him, made him feel good.   
ÊÊÊ "I take it the bride and groom's ride was a pleasant one?" Ray ran a hand over his head. "Don't ask." "Excuse me?" "Trust me, you don't want to know." Thatcher smiled thinly. "They did something?" Ray only shook his head no. Her expression turned from one of curiosity to a cold look. Ray was now confused. One minute Thatcher was glad to see him and now she was giving him the old 'Ice Queen' stare.   
ÊÊÊ "I assume what they did would be as tasteless as let's say...engaging in certain activities in an office?" He cringed slightly. This was the one thing he didn't want happening tonight. Thatcher getting angry with him. No matter what his mother had 'ordered' him to do, he had every intention of getting Thatcher to spend the night with him. It didn't matter if it was at her place or a hotel, but he wanted to be with her.   
ÊÊÊ "It's not the same thing! It's kinda gross...you know...it's my sister." "Yes, I'm aware that she's your sister. And 'you're' her brother." She cocked her head slightly. "Does Francesca make derogatory comments about you and I being together?" He froze. *Oh boy does she ever!* "Well, she..." Before Ray could begin to spin a tale of denial, Fraser and Francesca walked into the hall. *Thank you, God!* At that moment, Ray vowed to put a twenty in the collection box next Sunday at mass.   
ÊÊÊ "It's about time you two came in. I'm starving!" Thatcher brushed past Ray and went over to the pair. "Congratulations Constable, Ms. Vec...Mrs. Fraser." To her surprise, Francesca reached out and grabbed her in a tight hug. "Thanks a bunch Megs!" Looking over Francesca's shoulder, Thatcher saw Fraser smiling slightly. As he caught her eye, he quickly smoothed his features out. Placing a hand on Francesca's elbow, he drew her away from Thatcher. "Thank you, Meg."  
ÊÊÊ Francesca grabbed Fraser's arm and began pulling him toward the main room. "Francesca, aren't we supposed to wait until they announce us?" "Huh? Oh yeah!" She waved a hand at Ray. "Can you go and tell 'em we're ready to come in and dance?" Ray stared back at Francesca and shook his head. It was going to be a long night.   
ÊÊÊ "I've already taken care of it. Just go stand by the door over there." Francesca bounced in place, smiling excitedly. "Ya know Benton, we're gonna have so much fun. I'm gonna dance those boots right off your feet." Ray smothered a laugh. "You're gonna dance?" Fraser turned to look at him. "I can dance, Ray." "Yeah, I know how you dance. Remember?" Fraser thought back to when he was pretending to be a female teacher and ended up dancing with Ray of all people. "That was different. I do know more modern dance steps."   
ÊÊÊ "Yeah? Did you take lessons?" "No, I've watched a few programs..." Ray laughed loudly. "Benny! You can't learn how to dance by watching television. You're either born with rhythm or you're not." Francesca giggled. "Just like he couldn't learn Italian from a tape?" "That's different Frannie." "No it's not. If he said he can dance, he can dance. Isn't that right Benton?" "I believe that I will be able to perform up to standard." Ray snickered again as Francesca squealed happily.   
ÊÊÊ Music began to play and she pulled Fraser into the main room of the hall. Walking arm in arm, they headed to their table. Holding the chair out for her, Fraser watched as Francesca settled herself. Sitting next to her, he smiled. She had never looked as happy as she was at this moment. Being the center of attention definitely suited her. Francesca caught Fraser eye and her smile broadened. Reaching under the table she squeezed his crotch, laughing as he jumped. He gave her an embarrassed look, but he also had a smile on his face as well.   
ÊÊÊ Looking around the room, she tapped her foot to the music. It wasn't what she had wanted to walk in with. She had originally wanted to have the theme song from 'Gone With the Wind' playing as they came in, but the look on Fraser's face as she suggested it made her think twice. He didn't like all the fanfare and attention the way she did. He preferred things low key and traditional. *Whatever traditional is where he's from.* She had let him get what he wanted in with this, but there were a few things that she wasn't going to let slide. *Boy will he be surprised!*   
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ÊÊÊ As they settled down at the table, dinner was served to them first. Francesca grinned from ear to ear. She had a buffet dinner at her first wedding and had planned on something really small for this one, but thanks to her being the favorite niece of Uncle Vito, she ended up feeling like she was a princess. Looking at Fraser in his dress uniform only added to the illusion.

ÊÊÊ The moment that Ray saw that every one was served, he stood and tapped his glass to get their attention. "Since I'm the best man here, the duty of giving the toast falls on me, I guess." He turned and looked at Fraser and Francesca. He wanted to roll his eyes at them. They looked so freaking happy that it almost made him sick. But seeing them both this way was something he had always wanted. He just didn't ever picture them attaining it together.   
ÊÊÊ Ray smiled at them and Fraser's own smile faded slightly as he saw the look of devilment in Ray's eye. "Ya know...I could say it only seems like yesterday that Frannie and Benny got together, but in their case I'd be tellin the truth." His smile widened as he watched Francesca's eyes narrow. "The moment Benny asked Frannie out, I knew there would be trouble. He was sneaky about it too. He made it out to be like he was helping Frannie with her English class and all the time he was planning on going out with her. Everyone else knew it, but he and Frannie kept on playing their little game. Nope Ray, it's all for her studies."   
ÊÊÊÊ Francesca's mouth tightened and she began to openly glare at him. Ray chuckled. "You can get that look off of your face Frannie, cause you know it's true." There were a few snickers from the guests and she gave an them an embarrassed look. "The next thing I know, Benny's coming over the house 'all' the time. I've had to sit and watch them snuggle up on the sofa so many times I lost count." Ray looked pointedly at Fraser, whose face was turning pink. "And then he goes and gets a house right down the street from us. You tell me, he wasn't planning all of this from the beginning."   
ÊÊÊ Fraser's face was now a bright red and Francesca had her glare back. "At first you could say I was kinda against it all. Here was my best friend makin the moves on my little sister. I had the right to be upset...no matter how many times the rest of the family said I was being ridiculous." He looked at Maria, who gave him a fake smile. "But ya know, it didn't turn out the way I thought it would." He now looked back at Fraser and Francesca, enjoying the looks of discomfort they both wore.   
ÊÊÊÊ "I didn't think you two would even make it past one month of dating and what did you do? After three months you got engaged and now here you are married. I know I kinda torment you guys about it, but deep down...I'm happy for you both. It's obvious how much you love each other and as much as I hate to admit it, you two belong together." Ray smiled again as Francesca's mouth dropped open and Fraser's eyes widened in surprise.   
ÊÊÊ "Yeah, you heard me right. It's taken a while for me to finally see it, but I know that you did the right thing by gettin married." Ray raised his glass. "Here's hoping that you have a long and happy life together, filled with love and all the good things that life has to offer." Taking a sip from his glass he heard the murmurs of approval around him. Francesca jumped up and grabbed him in a tight hug, almost knocking his glass from his hand. "Ray...that was so beautiful." He hugged her back and whispered to her. "Now I 'know' you're toasted."   
ÊÊÊ She snicker and backed away from him, wiping tears from her cheeks. Fraser stood and smiled at him. *Oh...what the hell.* Stepping past Francesca, Ray grabbed Fraser in a hug, patting his back. He wasn't surprised when his hug was returned. By the time they let go of one another, Ray was fighting back tears of his own, feeling like a fool. "Well I'm glad that's over with." "Thank you Ray...for everything." "Hey Benny, you don't have to thank me. I meant every word of it." 

 

Dinner went rather well as far as Francesca was concerned. The food was excellent and more importantly, expensive bottles of champagne and wines were in front of her. As she took a small bite of the tender capon on her plate, she heard knives tapping on crystal glasses. Grinning she leaned into Fraser. He in turn gave her a blank look.

"Benton, give me a kiss." He swallowed a mouthful of food and gave her a curious look. "Kiss me." He looked around the room and could see several people looking their way. "I would prefer too wait until we're in a more private setting." "No, kiss me now. That's why everyone's hitting their glasses. It's a tradition. You know...for good luck. And do you really need a reason to kiss me in public or are you ashamed of me now?" "No, I'm not ashamed of you."

Leaning over, he gave her a small peck. A voice called out from one of the tables in the back of the room. "That ain't a kiss!" Fraser looked in the direction of the voice, trying to pinpoint it's owner. Francesca took a hold of his chin and moved his face back to her. "No little kisses Benton." "But...it's not proper..." "Oh please! We're married! They expect it." He sighed. "Your traditions are rather strange."

Leaning forward again, he gave her a solid kiss. Threading her fingers through his hair, she pulled him to her, forcing her tongue into his mouth. He quickly broke off the kiss, whispering tightly to her. "Francesca, this is not the place for that kind of...contact." She smiled at him and licked her lips. The voice that called out earlier, shouted again. "Now that's more like it!" Fraser's head jerked in the direction of the voice. There were too many people jammed in the hall for him to find the person yelling out at them. He was beginning to get slightly irritated. *Americans!*

 

Francesca sat in her chair, lightly tapping a finger on her glass. She finished dinner and was looking out at the crowd of people. She could see that they were enjoying themselves. Most of them were done eating and were now chatting amongst themselves. Pushing her chair back, she sighed. "Come on Benton, let's get this over with." Standing beside her, he gave her his classic blank look. She shook her head. "You don't know anything about weddings, do you?"

He got a far away look in his eyes before he focused back on her. "What I do know about weddings...they were never quite like this." "I can only guess. By now you'd probably have to wrestle a moose or something to prove your manhood." He opened his mouth to protest and she cut him off. "You and I hafta go and make the rounds. You know, go to the tables, thank everyone for coming...yadda, yadda, yadda." "Ah." "Yeah, ah. Ya know it's bad enough we had to do this at the church and now we hafta do it all over again. If Ma weren't here, I'd skip it."

Taking his hand they slowly made their way from table to table. They were repeatedly asked by everyone when they planned on starting a family. The first time Francesca was asked, she had wanted to yell out that they had already started one on the way to the reception, but she saw the slight look of panic on Fraser's face and thought better of it. She knew if she did that, more than likely she would be sleeping alone in her bridal bed.

Her standard answer was, much to Fraser's relief, 'We're going to start right away'. From the older people, they got nods of approval and comments on how nice it was that they were going to have children right away. And when she told them they planned on having four children, the older woman usually smiled happily at them, talking about their own large brood of children that they had raised.

Francesca wasn't surprised at the reactions that she got from the younger guests. She had many strange looks directed at them and the occasional 'Are you crazy?' was thrown in. 'Why don't you spend some time getting to know one another? Why don't you wait a year or two? Four kids?! You have to be kidding me?!' She held her tongue and smiled politely at them. She wasn't about to argue with family and friends on why she and Fraser wanted four children. They just did and that was all there was to it.

By the time they made it back to their table, she thought that she was going to pass out. Her throat was dry and her feet ached. "Thank God, we're done with that! Can you believe some of those people, Benton? You would have thought that I was telling them to have four children. It's none of their business how many kids we have any way." Grabbing her glass, she filled it with champagne and drank it down.

"Francesca, you shouldn't be drinking so much. It will make you ill." She waved him off. "I'll be fine. I've drank before, you never did. That's why you got so sick. Plus you mixed your alcohol." Sitting back in her chair, she poured another glass for herself and slowly sipped it. She peeked at Fraser, who was giving her a look of disapproval. She smiled at him seductively over the rim of the glass, watching his expression change to a smile. He shook his head and laughed softly at her. Ray was right. She did have him wrapped around her little finger. All it took was her looking at him a certain way and he'd relent.

The music changed tempo and she jumped up from her chair, forgetting all about being tired. "Come on, it's time to cut the cake." She reached down and clasped his hands, pulling him up. They made their way over to the desert table where a large four tier wedding cake sat. Fraser looked at, noting the miniature Mountie and bridal figurines on the top layer. He saw that they were made of porcelain and were obviously expensive.

"Uncle Vito again?" "That's the only person I can think of who would do this." "He's done too much." "Uh huh. Are you gonna go and tell him that?" She smiled again as he shook his head no. "You're a big chicken." "No...I just don't want to insult him." "Uh huh. Chicken." Fraser looked around at the crowd that began to gather around them. The music in the back ground played loudly. The lyrics were decidedly appropriate he thought. Cut the cake. Francesca leaned toward him.

"We're gonna cut the cake and then feed each other a small slice. I'm warning you now. If you smash it in my face, you'll have blueballs for a month." He gave her a surprised look. "Why would I smash cake in your face?" She grinned up at him. "That's right. You don't know. It's a stupid thing they do at weddings and we're not doing it." A quick image flashed through her mind. Gino shoving a large piece of cake in her face. Icing stuck in her hair and on her gown. She should have know then that he was a jackass.

They stood closely together and held a knife, wrapping their fingers together around it's hilt. Slicing into the cake, Fraser listened to the voices a round them. Comments of 'I can't wait for them to do it' reached his ears. He heard the occasional murmur of 'I hate when they do that'. Cameras flashed as he gently held a piece of cake out to Francesca. He watched her white teeth and red lips as she bit through the white frosting. She smiled at him as she slowly licked a crumb from the corner of her mouth.

There were a few disappointed groans from the crowd, but other than that, they seemed to approve of how they handled this portion of the ceremony. As he chewed on his piece of cake he eyed Francesca, taking in every small movement of her petite frame. She managed to make eating a piece of cake into a sexual experience. He could feel his heart quicken as she licked a finger. Dropping his eyes to look at his boots, he willed himself to calm down. There would be plenty of time for what he wanted to do with her later in the evening when there wasn't an audience to witness it. 

 

Francesca had decided to bypass the traditional family dances. Pop was dead and gone, as were both of Fraser's parents. It didn't really make any sense to do the dances. She felt that all it would do is point out to Fraser the lack of his own family. Taking a napkin from the table, she patted her lips and wiped off her fingers. She noticed that Fraser was staring down at his boots. It appeared to her that he was looking rather dejected. *Well, it's time to liven him up a bit.*

Reaching forward, she took his unfinished piece of cake from his hand and set it on the table. She wiped his hands off, enjoying the perplexed look on his face. Tossing the napkin down next to his half eaten piece of cake, she took his hands in hers and pulled him out onto the dance floor, laughing at him as a throng of guests followed in their wake. "Are we going to dance?" "Nope. I have to throw out my bouquet." He nodded his head in understanding. This was one age old tradition that he was well acquainted with.

 

Ray lightly nudged Thatcher on the arm. "Go on over." She turned and gave him a blank look. *Damn. She's almost as good as Benny.* "No thank you. I don't care to participate." "Come on Meg. All the single women hafta do it. It's good luck. You do want them to have a good marriage don't ya?" "I hardly believe that my going out there and shoving aside a woman for a bouquet of flowers will bring their marriage luck."

She turned her face away from him and looked over at the growing crowd of woman. It was a ridiculous thing for women to do. It was demeaning. It only reinforced the old ways of women being worth nothing more than being wives and bearing children. But deep down inside of her, a part of her yearned to go out and be there with them. As much as she hated to admit it, she had a competitive side that carried over to her every day life. She wanted to go out there and grab those flowers just to prove that she could do it. But she wasn't about to make a fool of herself either.

Tapping his fingers on the table, Ray frowned. He could see that she wanted to go out and be a part of the proceedings, but her pride was getting in the way of her letting down her barriers and having a little fun. Forming what he thought was his best imitation of Fraser's big eyed Mountie look, he tapped Thatcher on the shoulder. She turned and smiled at him. "You're not Fraser, so the look won't work." "Aw, come on Meg. Just go out there. It won't hurt ya know and it'll mean a lot to Frannie. She's kinda superstitious about stuff like this and if she sees you sitting here, she'll think she and Fraser's marriage will be doomed."

With a defeated sigh, she pushed her chair back and stood. "I'll go stand out there, but I am 'not' going to jump to catch those flowers. Some other idiot can do that." "Thanks Meg, you're the best." He grinned as she made her way over to stand with the other woman. She looked out of place, but in a good way. He knew it was stupid of him to feel the way he did, but knowing that she was 'his' date...well it made him feel special. Here he was Ray Vecchio, the local goomba, having a classy woman like Thatcher spend her time with him.

 

Francesca smiled as she looked over her shoulder at the women gathered behind her. It wasn't that long ago that she was the one fighting for the chance to catch the flowers. To her surprise, she spotted Thatcher in the very front, looking irritated as hell. *So she wants to be a bride.* Stifling a laugh, she turned back to look at Fraser. She winked at him as she practically heaved the bouquet behind her. They flew forcefully, right into a very startled Meg Thatcher's face, dropping into her hands.

 

Thatcher felt the sting of the bouquet as it hit her square in the face. She clutched the flowers in her hands, looking up in surprise at Francesca. She narrowed her eyes at the smiling bride, who gave her an excited wave. "Nice catch Megs!" Snickering, Francesca grabbed Fraser and pulled him to the center of the dance floor where a single chair was waiting. She flopped down in the seat and gave him a mischievous grin.

"Don't tell me. They don't do this back in Muckalucktuck." He ignored her obvious jibe at the name of one of the towns that he had grown up in. "Do what?" Rolling her eyes, she pulled the skirting of her gown up, revealing her well toned calf. She bopped her foot enticingly. As the music began to play, she openly laughed at Fraser's confused expression. Her voice was a purr. "Benton...you hafta get my garter." He ran a finger nervously around the collar of his serge. "Excuse me?" He winced as he recognized the tune blaring in the room. It was stripper music.

Francesca smiled again. "You have to reach up my gown and take my garter off. Then you toss it to the guys, just like IÊ did my flowers." His eyes widened. "You want me to...here?" His voice squeaked slightly. She leaned forward as she spoke. "I'm not asking you to feel me up, I just need you to take my garter off." She smiled sweetly at him, feeling a wave of heat wash over her. No matter how many times he did it, his blushing always managed to turn her on and right now his face was a tantalizing shade of pink.

 

Fraser wanted to bolt from the floor. The idea of reaching up Francesca's gown, in front of a roomful of people, mortified him. It was one thing to do it in private, but to have their family and friends watching him do it..." He swallowed nervously as he stared down at her small foot, still moving back and forth. He loved her feet. They were so small and delicate, just like the rest of her. He could picture himself taking her shoe off andÊ caressing her instep. Running his hands up the smooth skin of her well muscled calf. Her voice cut through his revere.

"Benton! Just do it!" His head snapped up from her foot to look at her face. Her eyes had that angry flash that she got when she was fast losing her patience with him. If he and she were to have an enjoyable wedding night, he knew he would have to force himself to do what she asked of him. He slowly knelt down before her, noticing the triumphant look on her face. Closing his eyes, he tentatively reached a trembling hand up the skirting of her gown. Shaking his head slightly, he withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry Francesca...I can't do this."

He heard a few people in the hall chuckle and that same nagging voice called out to him again. "Come on you big chicken!" Tucking his head down, he moved to stand. Francesca placed her hands on his shoulders and held him down. She whispered heatedly to him. "Benton Fraser, you better not get up if you know what's good for you." "I'm sorry...I can't do it." She leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear. "So you call yourself a Mountie? Just take it off for Christ's sake. You're not gonna die!"

He looked up at her and frowned. They were almost nose to nose. "This isn't the place for this sort of thing." She narrowed her eyes at him, her voice rising slightly. "Oh yes it is. They've been doing this at weddings for years. You're just from some back woods place where they can't even show skin or they'll hang you." "Francesca...that's just silly." She pushed on his shoulders. "And so are you. Now take it off!"

Now it was Fraser's turn to be irritated with her. She didn't have the right to be talking to him like she did. Taking a deep breath, he flipped her gown up to her knees and jammed his hand up to her thigh. He heard the surprised intake of breath from her. Grasping the lacy band, he quickly stripped it down her leg. Roughly pulling her shoe off, he yanked the garter off. Placing the shoe back on her foot, he grabbed the material of her gown and flung it back into place. Standing, he held the garter out to her, his face void of any expression.

She smiled thinly at him. "You think you're cute. Well guess what? Now you hafta throw it to them." She pointed at the group of men who were now moving to stand behind them. She stood and walked back to their table and sat down. Grabbing a bottle of champagne, she gave him a defiant look, poured herself a glass and chugged it down. Swiping her fingers across her lips, she smiled humorously at him.

 

Fraser watched as Maria marched over to Francesca and snatched the bottle of champagne from her. The room was too noisy for him to make out what they were saying and the angle wasn't good enough for him to read their lips. All he could tell from his vantage point, was that they were arguing. He raised an eyebrow as Maria grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her roughly as she made a wild gesture toward him. Francesca looked at him and quickly ducked her head down. Maria looked at him as well. She smiled at him, pointing at his hand, motioning for him to throw the garter.

He turned and nervously looked at the group of men waiting for him to throw it. Without even giving them any indication that he was going to do it, he turned and tossed the garter over his shoulder. The moment it left his hand, he strode off the floor and back to the head table where he sat down beside Francesca. He kept he eyes focused on the sight before him, totally ignoring her. He didn't want to cause any more problems and it also seemed that she wasn't in the mood to talk to him at the moment. Francesca immediately stood. "Excuse me, I have to go and help them." Without even looking at him, she walked away.

 

Maneuvering himself in front of the crowd, Ray elbowed the man to his right. "Back off Bozo, she's mine." He almost broke out laughing as he watched Fraser quickly walked out to the center of the dance floor. His head was tucked down and his face was still a bright red. Without any warning, he turned his back to them and tossed the lace garter over his shoulder. Ray was caught flat footed, but the reflexes that saved his life numerous times on the street kicked in. Just as his outstretched fingers were about to grab the garter, a red clad arm appeared out of no where and plucked it out of the air.

Ray stood with his mouth open, staring at the smug, smiling face of Constable Turnbull. "What in the 'hell' do you think you're doing?!" Turnbull's smile faded and he blinked in total confusion. "I'm...I caught the garter. The gentleman over there..." Turnbull pointed to an old man sitting at a table by the cake. "...he said that it would bring luck to the bride and groom."

Ray stepped forward and glared up at him. "Do you know what you have to do next? Did he tell you that?" "No. Is there something required of me? Do I have to give this back to Ms. Vec...Mrs. Fraser?" Ray narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "Give it to me." He held his hand out and Turnbull took a step back. Just as Ray was about to jump him, Maria stepped between them.

Ê "Fair is fair, Ray. Ren caught it, now he gets to put it on." Turnbull looked at the small piece of lace in his hand and then at his leg. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "I don't think it will fit me." She snickered and shook her head. "No! You put the garter on the woman who caught the bouquet. It'll bring good luck to Benton and Frannie."

Turnbull's eyes widened and his face paled. His voice squeaked slightly as he spoke. "I...I have to put this on...Inspector Thatcher?!" Maria smiled at Ray as she looped her arm through Turnbulls. "That's right. And the higher you put it, the more luck they'll have, so make sure you get it up there or you'll jinx them. You wouldn't want to ruin their marriage would you?" Turnbull slowly shook his head no, but the terrified look never left his face as she pulled him away from Ray. As they moved past him, she smiled evilly. "Remember, you have to put it really high up on her thigh."

Ray ground his teeth as he watched Turnbull and Maria walk to the center of the room. Francesca was practically dragging Thatcher back out to the chair in the center of a throng of people. He could see anger and fear mixed in Thatcher's expression. As she caught his eye, she gave him a pleading look. He mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.', immediately noticing the glare now directed at him. Maria positioned Turnbull and ran off the floor, a hand covering her mouth to smother her laughter. She came back and stood next to Ray. "Oh my God, Ray! This is way too funny!" He snapped at her. "No it's not! I'm the one who should be out there, not him. Ya know, I should go out there and kick his ass for doing that." Maria laughed even louder. "What's so funny?" "Ray, I'm your sister and I love you, but he would kill you." He looked back at Turnbull and gave a small laugh. "No he wouldn't. He's a big chicken."

"Yeah, he's big all right. Look at him and think again. I was talking to Frannie one night. After Benton told her about him playing hockey and stuff, well she went on the internet at work and looked up the team he use to play on. He was the leading scorer 'and' he also led the league in penalty minutes." "Really? Him?" "Yes him. It seems as though Ren is just like Benton. He may be nice and polite, but if you push his buttons..." Ray gave one last surprised look at the tall, frightened looking Mountie. "I still think I should do something to him for pulling that shit." "Hey, be my guest. Just don't let him beat you up too bad. Ma would be angry if you were in the hospital, instead of in Florida with us."

 

"Oh come on, it's not that bad. You let Renny slip it in...I mean on and then you're done!" Thatcher went to stand, only to have Francesca hold her down. She placed her hands on Thatcher's shoulders and whispered tightly to her. "Look! My first marriage really sucked! I'm not asking you to die for me. All I want is some good luck and if you're gonna ruin 'my' life 'cause you can't take a crappy little garter belt bein' put on...well...I hope you've never happy either!"

 

Fraser walked up to them and pried Francesca's hands from Thatcher. "Francesca, I think you should come and sit down." She yanked away from him and pointed down at Thatcher, as tears began to well up in her eyes. "But she's gonna bring us bad luck!" She stomped a foot. "Benton, I love you and I don't want to lose you!" "Francesca, a piece of cloth will not decide the fate of our marriage." "You don't understand!" She flung herself against his chest and began crying. "I don't want to lose you."

Thatcher sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll let him put it on if you stop crying." Francesca pushed away from Fraser and smiled brightly at her. "You will?" "Yes." Francesca grabbed Thatcher in a bone crushing hug. "Thank you Megs! You're the best! I don't care if you are a stiffy, you're not all that bad." Fraser gently pulled Francesca away from her. He gave Thatcher an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. I did try." "I know Fraser, but you owe me for this." "Yes, I believe I do."

Thatcher watched as Fraser led a happy Francesca back to the head table. They sat down and whispered to each other. They kissed one another before settling back in their chairs. Looking around, she spied a petrified Turnbull standing a few feet away from her. Someone shoved him forward. He slowly walked over and stood before her. Pursing her lips, she gave him a hard look. "Let's get this over with Constable."

 

Turnbull took a faltering step toward Thatcher. When the stripper music began to play, his hands began to shake. "Oh for God's sake Turnbull! Just do it! That's an order!" "Yes, Sir." He dropped down on one knee and stared at her legs. Having never really taken a notice to what Thatcher looked like, he was surprised to find that she had very shapely legs indeed. "Turnbull!" "What? I'm sorry..." Swallowing nervously, he found himself almost getting up and running from the hall. It would be the first time in his life that he would have ever neglected to follow orders.

He glanced at Thatcher's angry face and then over to the head table where Francesca and Fraser sat. He had always had a soft spot in his heart for the small Italian woman. She didn't yell at him. She even had lunch and went to a concert with him. Deep down inside he had been extremely disappointed when he found out that Fraser was dating Francesca. He wanted to ask her out, but he could never quite work up the courage to do it. And now she was married.

The look on her face was one of hope and laughter. She was staring at him, waiting for him to complete his task. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and took the material of Thatcher's dress and lifted it up to her knee, exposing her calf. He wasn't doing this because he was ordered to. He was going to do it for Francesca, so that she had the luck that she wanted for her marriage. And he was going to damn well make sure she got a lot of it!

With a look of determination on his face, he removed Thatcher's shoe and began to place the garter on her leg. Pushing it up past her calf and to her knee, he steeled himself. *This is for Frannie!* He quickly shoved the garter all the way up Thatcher's leg. He would have shown her underwear, if Thatcher hadn't grabbed her dress and pulled it down to cover herself. She gasped and sputtered, trying to yell at him. "Oh dear...excuse me..." Standing, he ran away, disappearing into the crowd of laughing guests.

 

Francesca smiled brightly as Turnbull ran off, leaving a red faced Thatcher sitting in the center of the floor. She laughed and nudged Fraser playfully. "Do all Canadian's embarrass this easily or is it just you three?" She gave him a sideways glance. He was ignoring her as he looked at Thatcher still sitting in the chair. She was slowly putting her shoe back on. He could tell that she was extremely upset.

"Benton?" Francesca rested her hand on his thigh as she leaned against him. "Are you going to ignore me the rest of the night?" He gave her a quiet look and shook his head no. Taking his hand between hers, she rubbed his skin lightly, twisting the band of gold around his finger. "Do you regret this already?" He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. "No, but I wish..." He dropped his gaze from hers. "You wish what?" "I wish that you wouldn't make fun of the way I was raised or where I'm from. If the situations were reversed, you would be the one out of place and I wouldn't mock you for being different."

She smiled teasingly at him. "Didn't you say, one of the things that you loved the most about me was my not being afraid to say what I think?" She let one of her hands drift from his and back down to his thigh, where she began to slowly run her palm up toward his crotch. Leaning up, she kissed his neck, whispering to him. "I know you would never make fun of me. That's one of the reasons why 'I' love 'you' so much." She could tell that she had won another round with him. His body was relaxed and he laughed a little at her.

"How about giving me a kiss. Then we can go and dance our little dance, so everyone else can dance. How does that sound Mr. Fraser?" He gave her a small kiss. "May I please have another?" Leaning into her, he kissed her soundly, but quickly pulled away from her, laughing as he moved her hand from his crotch. "Francesca, now is not the time." She smiled seductively at him. "We could sneak off and make some time for it ya know." Standing, he held his hand out to her. Taking it, she walked with him across the floor. "Are we gonna dance or are we gonna go and have some fun?" "We are going to dance." "Okay, but don't think I haven't given up on you. Before the night's over, you and I are gonna do it somewhere here."


	6. Chapters 126 to 150

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited from Red Suits You. Will edit later.

Ray pushed his way past the group of people that stood around Thatcher. She hadn't moved from the chair and was sitting with her eyes closed. If he hadn't know her, he would have just thought that she was embarrassed by the whole proceeding, but since he did know her...he knew that she was livid. He would have to be very careful with how he handled this situation if he didn't want her to lash out at him. He had been witness to her verbal skills on other occasions and it was not a pleasant thing.

He casually walked up to her and held out his hand. Her eyes opened and she gave him a look that would have frozen water in the middle of July. Standing, she ignored him and headed toward the exit of the room. He followed at a safe distance until they were almost to the door that led outside.

"Meg, where're you goin?"

She kept walking. Running up behind her, he placed a hand on her arm to hold her back. She whipped around and punched him square in the jaw.

Ray blinked several times, trying to figure out where he was. One minute he was trying to stop Thatcher from walking out the door and the next...

*Am I on the floor?*

Taking a second to orient himself, he sighed.

*Yeah...I'm on the floor.*

He brought a hand up to rub at his throbbing jaw. His hand was pushed away and a cold ice pack was held in place. "Ow!" He looked at the figure kneeling beside him. The one that held the ice pack. "Hey."

Thatcher gave him a guilty look. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. It's just...I don't like to be grabbed and after what Turnbull did...well..." She looked away from him for a second and then back, her expression tight. "Does it hurt much? Can you move your jaw?" He opened his mouth and flexed the muscles of his jaw. They were sore and he knew he would have one hell of a bruise, but at least she hadn't broken anything that he could tell.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He took the ice pack from her hand and sat up, holding it to his jaw. "You pack a pretty mean punch." She had the grace to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I think I should go." She moved to stand and he grabbed her arm. He quickly released his hold and scooted back across the carpet as she pulled back a fist to hit him again. "Whoa! Once is enough!" Closing her eyes, she shook her head and looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry..."

*What in the hell is wrong with her?* "Meg, are you okay?" She shook her head no and stood. She walked out of the hall, leaving him sitting on the floor. *Shit.* Scrambling to his feet, Ray ran out the door after her. Knowing better than to grab her again, he ran up and walked along side of Thatcher as she headed out into the parking lot. "Where do you think you're goin?" "Home." He smiled and flinched as his jaw throbbed.

"You can't go home. You came with me." She stopped walking and sighed. "Then could you please call me a cab?" "Nope. You came here with me and you leave with me. Those are the rules." She gave him a hard look. "And what rules of etiquette did you pull that from?" "Ray Vecchio's book of dating. No matter how bad your girl beats you up, ya still have to take her home." He grinned at her, trying not to flinch at the pain. Thatcher turned away from him. "That's not amusing."

"Yeah, well getting socked in the jaw by your girl isn't fun either. Why'd ya punch me? It was Turnbull who put the garter on, not me." She ignored him. *I can't believe this. I hit him and he's calling me his 'girl'?* "Meg...what's wrong? There's more to this than the stupid garter." "You wouldn't understand." "Try me. You'd be surprised what I understand." She took a deep breath and turned back to face him. "Do you know what sexual harassment feels like?" "What's that have to do with you hitting me?" His eyes widened. "You're saying that I harass you?!"

Thatcher quickly shook her head no. "No. You've done nothing wrong. It's...someone whom I once worked for wanted sexual favors from me. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I had to endure my dresses being flipped up, my shoes being knocked off...being grabbed...I just reacted instinctively." Ray looked down at the woman before him. He could see shame in her eyes. "You know it's not your fault." "Yes, I know it wasn't my fault...but I put up with his advances for so long...when I finally had enough..." She gestured at his jaw. "You decked the guy?!" She looked down at her feet. "Yes. That's why I'm here in Chicago."

Ray started laughing and grabbed his jaw. Thatcher glared at him. "It's not funny." "Yes it is. I bet the guy was scared shitless when you did it. You pack a mean whollup." He could see the corners of her mouth twitch. "I mean, look at me. You knock me out cold and you like me. I'd hate to see what you did to someone you didn't like." She gave him another guilty look. She then reached out to touch his face. "Let me look at it." Her fingers trailed softly over his jaw. He did his best not to flinch as she pressed on the tender flesh.

"You're going to be bruised and it beginning to swell, but I believe you were correct in your initial assessment. Nothing's broken." "Thank God for that. I think Ma would have had a fit if I went to Florida with a broken jaw." Her expression grew pained, but her hand didn't leave his face. She gently caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry Ray. I'll never hit you again. It's just..." "Look...you apologized a million times already. I understand." He smiled. "What is it with you and Benny always apologizing so much? Is this a Canadian thing or what?"

To Ray's relief, Thatcher smiled at him. "I believe it's a requirement for citizenship." "You want to go back in now or do you still want to leave?" He gave her a hopeful look. "I'd like to stay. We haven't had the chance to dance yet." Ray smiled again and flinched at the pain. "Oh yeah, I want to see Benny dancin." "Ray." "Yeah?" She crooked a finger at him and he leaned down. She gave him a light kiss, careful not to hurt his bruised jaw. He smiled back at her and gave her a kiss back, ignoring the pain as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

When he pulled away, he found himself still smiling. "Ya know, maybe you should punch me more often. I like the making up part." "You don't need me to hit you to get a kiss." They began walking back to the hall, arm in arm. He couldn't resist teasing her as they walked back into the building. "So what do I get if you break my arm?" 

 

Fraser smiled as he and Francesca walked over to the table where the disc jockey was arranging records. It was more like he was walking and she was bopping along to an imaginary tune in her head. When they reached the table she grabbed a tape and looked at it as she spoke. "We're gonna dance our dance now, so you can go ahead and play it." Tossing the tape down, she smiled at the disc jockey.

"Francesca, maybe you should let him know..." She waved him off. "He knows what I'm talkin about, so don't go and get all worked up about it." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out to the center of the dance floor. As the music began to play, she wrapped her arms around Fraser's neck and rested her head on his chest. "I told ya he'd know what it was." She felt his hands go around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.

As the music played, she listened to the words. She had picked the song for obvious reasons. Each lyric seemed as if it were written for them. They danced slowly, moving to the gentle rhythm of the music. She knew that that Fraser was content by the fact that his fingers were lightly caressing her back. Everything that they had been through was worth it. Their moment to finally let it all sink in was here.

When the song ended, Francesca lifted her head and smiled up at him. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her lips, his mouth moving to her ear. "I'll love you always Francesca." Taking him by the hand they walked back to the head table. She saw Ma and Maria dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs. Grinning, she waved at them. Maria immediately stood and made her way over to them.

"I'm sorry Frannie...but you two look so happy...I kind of lost it." Squeezing Fraser's hand, Maria leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek, watching him blush. "You know Benton, you're the best thing that's ever happened to this family." "I...um..." "Oh don't be embarrassed. It's true. If it weren't for you, Ray would be a miserable bastard and Frannie would have ended up marrying another bum." "Maria!" "Well, it's true! Look what you settled for the first time."

Maria patted Fraser's arm. "You definitely are not settling. You're the best that she could ever hope for. You're going to make her happy." She leaned forward and grabbed Fraser in a tight hug. She felt him stiffen as she held him, but he quickly relaxed and returned her hug. Pulling away, she smiled. "Don't worry Benton, you'll get used to people hugging you. We're all kind of grabby." She hugged Francesca and kissed her on the cheek. "You are so lucky. I'm so happy for you."

Francesca could feel the tears starting again. "Okay Maria, I've had enough. I don't need to cry any more." She pulled away from her sister and grabbed a champagne bottle. "Francesca..." "Ah ah Benton. Remember what I said earlier?" "But..." "But nothing." Maria grinned at them. Her little sister certainly knew how to control Fraser. "I'll see you two later. I'm going to get Tony to dance with me."

Francesca watched Maria walk back and grab Tony by the hand. They made their way to the dance floor, joining several other couples. She sipped at the sparkling liquid, smiling coyly at Fraser over the rim of the glass. Licking her lower lip, she whispered to him. "You should like the fact that I'm drinking so much. Think of all the things you can do to me later." She laughed as Fraser tucked his head down, another blush making it's way across his pale features.

Reaching a hand underneath the table, she ran it slowly over his crotch. She felt his hand cover hers and gently place her hand on his thigh. "Not here Francesca." "Why not? No one is watching us. Besides...I want to." She moved her hand back and began to softly caress him. "How about you and me sneak off somewhere for a few minutes?" She gave him a hopeful look. "Francesca, it wouldn't be proper for us to leave the wedding to...do something of that nature." "What nature do you think I'm suggesting?" He nodded down at his lap, where her fingers now worked their way around a growing bulge. "Oh! That nature." She snickered. "I'm not suggesting we 'do it' here. I'm kinda suggesting we do some other stuff. Ya know. Where we wouldn't have to undress." She smiled at him, watching him close his eyes and swallow nervously.

"We can't...not here. Someone could find us in a most compromising position." "Yeah, well maybe no one would notice a thing and you wouldn't be all wound up like you are now." Fraser shook his head no and removed her hand from his lap. His erection strained and throbbed painfully against the material of his jodhpurs. "We will have plenty of time to indulge ourselves later." "Indulge?" She looked down at his lap and smiled. "I was thinking more alone the lines of a blow job." She licked her lips and moved her hand back to his lap, where he quickly removed it again. She sighed.

"You're no fun. I want to do something now. I could crawl under the table and..." He gave her a panicky look as she began to slide down in her seat. He tightly whispered to her. "No! Not here." She smiled innocently back at him. "Where then?" He gave her a pained look. "You're not going to give up are you." She smiled again as she grabbed her glass and took another sip. "Nope...I want you and I want you now. Not later."

She saw the irritation and indecision mingled on his face. She knew that she was going to get what she wanted. All she had to do was get him flustered and she knew he would cave in worse than a souffle after the oven door had been slammed. He sighed heavily as he looked around the hall. "Give me a few moments to compose myself and then we can...go." She leaned over and tweaked his crotch, watching him jump. "I knew you'd see it my way." 

 

Walking back into the hall, Ray and Thatcher made their way to the dance floor. An old Glenn Miller tune was playing and several couples swayed to the soft music. Ray smiled as he saw Maria and Tony dancing together. It was good to see them actually acting like a real couple again. It had been years since he had seen his older sister this happy.

Pulling Thatcher to him, he tucked his chin against her shoulder, only to pull back in pain. he saw a look of guilt flash through her eyes, but it was a quickly replaced by a sparkle and a teasing smile. "I'll make it up to you later." She pulled him back to her and they danced around the floor. Breathing deeply, Ray smiled. He didn't think he would ever get tired of the way she smelled.

Moving a hand lower down her back, he unconsciously pressed her against him. Her light murmur both excited and embarrassed him. "If you keep doing that, everyone will know what you want to do." "Sorry Meg." When he went to back away, she held him in place. "That's quite all right." The song ended and another one took it's place. They stayed out on the dance floor, moving smoothly about, step matching step.

He was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on the music with Thatcher's body pressed tightly against his. With each move, she rubbed against him, bringing visions of her bent over the desk at the consulate. Her pale round ass had felt so good beneath his fingers, her tightness around him... *Christ! If I don't knock this off, I'm gonna be in deep shit here.*

"Ray?" "Yeah?" "Would you care to take a little walk? I think I need some air." They stopped dancing and he gave her a worried look. "Are you feeling okay?" She smiled seductively at him, causing his heart to skip a beat. "I'm fine, it's just 'hot' in here, that's all." "Hey, whatever you want is fine with me." "That's nice to know." They left the dance floor and made their way out of the room and down a side hallway. Looking around, Ray opened a door and they stepped out into the back parking lot.

It was cold and dark outside. He shivered, hoping that she wouldn't notice how cold he was already. *Man I hate this. I wish she was from Florida or somethin. I'm gonna freeze my ass off!* He turned and look at Thatcher who had her arms wrapped around herself and was shivering violently. "You're cold?" "Yes! It's freezing out here!" "Thank you God!" He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back into the building, laughing as he hugged her.

"I thought you'd be like Benny. You know...loving the cold and all." She rolled her eyes. "I'm from Toronto, not from the north like he is. Maybe Fraser doesn't mind freezing his...maybe he doesn't mind the cold, but I see no reason to stand outside and be subjected to those temperatures." She shivered involuntarily and he held her tighter. "Warm now?" "Yes, thank you." "You maybe wanna go somewhere and get warmer?"

He gave her a hopeful look, praying that he didn't look too pathetic. "Yes." He took her hand and they walked down the dimly lit hallway. He kept his voice low. "There's a small room back here. It's not used a lot. I think we'll be safe in there." They crept down to the room with Ray occasionally casting a glance about them, to make sure no one had seen them. He smiled as he slowly opened the door and ushered Thatcher in. When he walked in, he yelled. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Fraser and Francesca broke apart from a deep kiss. Francesca nearly fell as she stumbled backwards. Fraser jerked to stand up, his fingers quickly buttoning his serge. He hoped that it was dark enough in the room to hide the fact that he was aroused beyond belief. As Ray snapped the light on, Francesca stepped in front of him, hiding the source of his potential embarrassment. "Ray! What are you doing here?!"

Me? What am 'I' doing here? What about you two? Shouldn't you guys be out there dancing or somethin, instead of him being in here pawing at you?" Francesca's eyes blazed with anger and she grabbed a heavy paperweight from the desk. As she went to throw it, Fraser grabbed her arm and hugged her to him. "No Francesca." "But I'm sick of his shit!" She looked back at Ray. "We're married! We can do what we want!" Ray sneered at her.

"Just because you two are married, it doesn't mean you can go around rutting like pigs. You just got done doing each other a couple of hours ago! Can't you let up?!" "Go to hell!" Francesca squirmed in Fraser's hold. "Benton, let me go." "I'll let you go if you calm down." "I am calm." "No you're not." "I said let me go!" "No." She pushed against his chest with her hands. "Let..me.. go..now." Her voice was low and menacing.

Thatcher stepped forward. "Let her go Constable." Fraser gave Thatcher a cold look. "Please Ben, let her go." He slowly released Francesca and she backed away from him, smoothing her dress out. Her voice was tight. "Don't you ever do that to me again." He cocked his head to the side, looking at the small angry figure that was Francesca. "I won't do it again, if you don't give me a reason to." "You...you..." Fraser ignored her and turned to look blankly at Ray and Thatcher.

"May I inquire as to why you two are here? Are Francesca and I needed back at the reception?" He smiled thinly at Ray as he friend's face began to color. "No? Then am I wrong to assume that you are both here for the same reason that Francesca and I are here?" He looked at the two guilty figures before him and shook his head. Walking over to Francesca, he took her hand. She tried to snatch it from his grasp and he tightened his grip on her. "Don't be like this Francesca. Not today. Please."

Francesca looked up at Fraser, seeing that his tone of voice matched his face. He was dead serious. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her anger down, knowing that if she lashed out at him, they would only end up fighting the entire night and she didn't want to spend her wedding night sleeping alone. And it would be over something stupid. "Okay...I won't." She glared at Ray. "But you had better knock it off Ray. I'm tired of it. We're married and you don't have any right to act like this."

Ray opened his mouth to yell at Francesca, but stopped as Fraser walked slowly over to stand before him. His blue eyes bored into his green ones. "If you're going to go about making accusations, then maybe you should look at yourself as well." He led a still fuming Francesca from the room, softly closing the door behind them. Ray's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Now what in the 'hell' did he mean by that?" Thatcher looked down at the floor and tried to suppress her laughter. It came out as a small snort. Covering her mouth up, she turned away from him. "Meg?" She continued smothering her laughter. "I'm sorry..." "You understood what he said?" She nodded her head yes and he walked around to stand in front of her. "Did he just insult me or somethin?" Another nod of yes was given.

Running a hand over his head, Ray sighed. "Okay, I'm stupid. Can you tell me what he meant?" She took a deep breath and looked at him. "He just called us rutting pigs." Thatcher collapsed against the desk, laughing. Ray could only stare at her in wonder. "You think that's funny?" She coughed and nodded her head yes again, laughing as she spoke.

"Ray...it's Fraser...he never insults anyone and he just...he said...I'm sorry, but it's all too funny." She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "He is right you know. We haven't been together all that long and here we are, sneaking off to have sex again. We're just as bad as they are." Ray shook his head no. "There is no way we could ever be as bad as those two. They're constantly going at it." "I don't know Ray. We're at a wedding and we were considering it. At least they had an excuse. They are married after all. I think you should try and remember that."

Ray gave her a snarky look. "Oh come on! You're siding with her?" "I'm not siding with anyone Ray. It's just that you seem to be having a hard time accepting that they're married. Married people have sex all the time." Ray cringed. "See... there you go." "What?" "You cringed. Every time you think about your sister and Fraser...you cringe. I think you have a definite problem that you need to take care of. They 'are' married."

Ray threw his hands up in the air. "I know that! It's...come on Meg...it's Benny. She's my little sister." "And they are both well over thirty and they are obviously happy with one another. You said in your toast that you could see that they belong together. Why are you still getting angry at them?" "I don't know. It's...Benny wasn't supposed to fall for my sister." Thatcher crossed her arms and gave Ray a wry look. "And just who was he supposed to fall for? Me?" 

 

Francesca fumed as they walked down the hall leading back to the main room. "He is such a jerk! Can you believe it? We're married and he 'still' can't leave us alone!" "Francesca..." "You know what? I'm gonna tell Ma, that'll fix him. I'll tell Ma, he was gonna do her and she'll go nuts!" "Francesca..." "Ma'll grab him by the balls and yank him so hard..." Fraser pulled her to a stop. "Francesca that is enough!"

She stared up at Fraser, tears forming in her eyes, her lower lip quivering. "You yelled at me." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, but you wouldn't listen to me." "It's our wedding day and you yelled at me. Gino yelled at me all the time after we got married. Are you gonna start doin it too?" "Francesca...I'm sorry." "He always said he was sorry too, but then he'd yell at me again. And then he'd hit me." Her eyes widened. "You won't ever hit me will you?" *Oh dear.*

He pulled her to him, hugging her small frame tightly, rubbing a hand over her back. "Francesca, I will never strike you." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "You promise." He kissed the top of her head. "I give you my word." She looked up at him clearly confused. "What word are you given me?" Fraser looked down at Francesca, suppressing a smile. If he smiled or laughed at her now, she would only get angry.

"Francesca, how much have you had to drink?" She grinned up at him. "A little bit." "I think that you have had more than just a little bit. I think that you should drink water or juice the rest of the evening." "Why? I'm not drunk." She hiccuped and smile sheepishly at him. "Well...maybe just a tinsy bit." She crooked a finger at him. "Can I tell you somethin?" He leaning down to her, she whispered in his ear. "I love you." "I love you too, Francesca."

They continued holding each other, listening to the soft music drifting out into the hall. It stopped playing and a new song took its place. It was a loud and bouncy tune. Francesca twisted out of Fraser's hug and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on! Let's go dance!" He felt himself being pulled forward. He had no idea what the song was, but apparently she did and now she wanted them to dance.

 

Ray gave Thatcher a guilty look. "Yeah, I kinda hoped that Benny would hook up with you." She raised an eyebrow at him. "No..it's not like you're thinking. I didn't want him to go and just do it with you, I was thinking along the lines of you two gettin married. You know. You're both Canadians...you're both Mounties. It made sense for you two to be together. If he married you...Frannie would leave him alone." "He is my junior officer." "Oh don't give me that line of crap. You know and I know that there really isn't a written rule about marrying within the ranks."

She frowned at him. "No, there is no 'written' rule, but it is not looked upon as being acceptable behavior for a superior officer. It could be construed as harassment. Or in Fraser's case, he would be seen as trying to improve his chance for a promotion." "You know that's a load of bull." "Maybe you know it and I know it, but Ottawa wouldn't see it quite that way. We are both here for doing something that didn't meet the approval of our superiors. What do you think would happen to us if we had formed a union?" Ray shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Maybe they would be happy for you." Thatcher laughed and shook her head. "I find that highly unlikely. It would be more reasonable to expect them to transfer one of us." "Now why would they do that?" She walked up to him. "Mr. Ambassador, welcome to the Canadian Consulate. I'm Inspector Fraser and this is my Chief Liaison Officer, Benton Fraser." Ray looked back at her in understanding.

"Yeah...it does sound funny." Snapping his fingers, he smiled triumphantly back at her. "You could have kept your name. No one would really know that you were married." He gave her a smug look and crossed his arms. "How would I hide a pregnancy? Or the questions posed to me at dinners and the like about my marital status?" "Uh...well...you wouldn't have to tell any one you know. You could lie."

"Okay, I'll use your version of a relationship with Fraser. We're married. I've kept my own name and I don't wear my wedding band so that I don't get questioned as much. There is no photo of us together on my desk, nor would I allow him to have any photo of any kind of us in his office. I also would request that he not wear his ring. At consular functions, we would have to remain formal and distant so as to not raise any questions. If I were pregnant I would have to make up all sorts of lies or diversions to cover up the fact that I'm married to my junior officer. How would it look for the R.C.M.P., myself and Fraser, if we were to continually 'lie' about our relationship? More importantly...how do you think Fraser would react to all of this?"

Ray sat back on the desk. "I never thought about any of that." "I have. That is why I tried to avoid any contac...any relationship with Fraser. It was a bit more complicated than it seemed." She walked to stand before him. Her eyes at his level. "Do you regret forming a relationship with me?" "Huh?! No!" "Then why are you still upset with him for marrying your sister?" "Aw come on Meg. I not upset with Benny, I'm just...I wish..." He threw his arms up. "Hell, I don't know!" Running a hand over his thinning hair, Ray sighed.

"I give up. Do you want to dance?" Thatcher smiled at him. "Here?" "Yeah, we could dance here, but if we stay any longer, I think Frannie'll think we're doin it and she'll go and tell Ma to come and get me. Let's just go back and dance. My head is startin to hurt from tryin to think about all of this." He stood and found himself pressed up against Thatcher, who continued to smile up at him. "Come on Inspector, let's go show that Constable of yours what a real couple looks like." Taking her by the hand, he lead her back to the main room. 

 

Francesca pulled Fraser to the center of the dance floor and to her delight he didn't run off. Instead he took his place next to her in the line, matching her movements. "Where'd you learn this?!" He smiled back at her, raising his voice above the music. "I saw this on a television program." They continued dancing, with Francesca smiling ecstatically. All of her hard work at bringing Fraser out of his closed in shell was finally paying off. He was having fun doing something that he normally wouldn't do.

 

Ray and Thatcher walked back into the main hall. He grimaced in distaste as he heard what was playing. "Man, I hate this song." His eyes bugged out slightly as he took in the sight before him. Fraser and Francesca were dancing in synch, both smiling at one another. "You have got to be kiddin me! Where in the hell did Benny learn to do this?"

Thatcher looked across the dance floor, spotting the happy couple. She couldn't help smiling as Turnbull ran up to Fraser and Francesca. It was an unusual sight to say the least. The diminutive brunette in her cream colored wedding gown was sandwiched between the tall handsome Mounties in red as they danced about doing the electric slide. Ray shook his head. "Now Turnbull's doin it!" Ray stared at them dumbfounded. Leave it to Fraser and Turnbull to know how to do the goofy dance.

Thatcher reached out and took Ray's hand, leading him onto the dance floor, but Ray pulled back from her. "No way. I ain't dancing to that crap." She looked him over and then she smirked. "You can't do this dance, can you?" "Sure I can dance." "But not 'this' dance." He frowned at her. "So I can't do the glide." "It's not the glide, it's the slide." "Slide, glide, whatever... I can't do it." She tugged him forward again. "Just follow my lead." "Aw come on Meg."

Ignoring Ray's protests, Thatcher maneuvered them so that they were next to Fraser. Francesca and Turnbull waved at them and Fraser smiled happily. Thatcher smoothly joined in the dance, while Ray moved stiffly to the music. *I hate this song.* To his surprise, Fraser switched places with Thatcher. "Stay with me Ray, just follow my movements." Fraser called out each direction that they were to turn and how many beats were included. Before he knew it, Ray was dancing along with him, matching every step. "Hey, I got it!"

Just as he finally learned the dance the music ended, tuning into a slow romantic tune. Francesca stepped up to Fraser. "Excuse me kind sir, but would you care to dance?" He bowed slightly. "I would be honored m'lady." Taking her hand, they joined together and waltzed away from Ray and Thatcher. Ray pulled Thatcher to him. "Now this kind of dancin I know how to do."

As they swayed to the music, Ray was again surprised. He spotted Turnbull dancing shyly with a young looking woman. As they turned around he saw who it was. "Tanya?" He went to walk over to them and Thatcher pulled him to her. "Where do you think you're going?" "Meg...dance over to Turnbull." "Why?" "He's with Tanya." He could hear the curious tone in her voice. Looking at her, he was pleased to see a small twinge of jealousy in her eyes. "Tanya's my cousin." "Oh." The brief flicker of jealous disappeared as quickly as it came."

"Why do we need to go over to them?" "She's too young to be dancin with him. Isn't he the same age as Frannie?" "How old is she?" Ray bit his lip. "Man...I don't remember. I think she's around twenty-three, if that." Thatcher smiled. "She's old enough Ray, leave them alone." Ray looked over at Turnbull and his cousin, they were now dancing closely. Too close as far as he was concerned. He went to pull away again and Thatcher held him tightly to her.

"Ray, can't you leave well enough alone? They're only dancing." Ray thought back to the summer picnic where Fraser and Francesca had danced. They were 'only dancing' as well and look what had happened with them. He mentally cringed at the thought of Turnbull marrying into the family. He again tried to move away. "Ray, if you don't stop this, I'm going to leave." "But..." Thatcher let go of his hand and began to turn away from him. Ray reached out and grabbed her, pulling Thatcher back into his embrace.

"Are you going to continue interfering with other people's relationships or are you going to dance with me the rest of the evening?" Ray rested his chin on her shoulder as he stared across the dance floor at Turnbull and Tanya. "I'll dance with you." "Good." *He is 'not' going to go out with her. There's no way he's gonna date her.*

 

Fraser looked across the dance floor spotting Turnbull dancing with a young woman. "Francesca, who is Ren dancing with?" She looked over and smiled. "That's Tanya. You'd like her. She's really nice, but she's kinda shy." "A shy Vecchio?" Francesca slapped Fraser playfully on the chest. "Ha ha." She saw the look in Fraser's eyes. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking?" He smiled down at her. "It might work. He's rather shy as well. What do you think?" Francesca grinned and began singing softly. "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match..." They both laughed softly and continued dancing, but now they moved themselves in the direction of Turnbull and Tanya. They had work to do. 

 

Francesca sat at a table listening to her mother talk with her aunts. The reception was almost over and she could feel her body slowly winding down like an alarm clock whose key hadn't been turned in some time. Suppressing a yawn, she felt a light tough on her shoulder. Looking up she gave Fraser a bleary eyed smile. The disc jockey's voice called out. "Okay ladies and gentleman, this is the last dance of the evening and it's dedicated to Francesca from Benton."

The soft strains of 'Always and Forever' began to play, she smiled again at Fraser as she took his hand, letting him lead her out to the dance floor. Leaning her head against his chest, Francesca laughed softly. "I didn't even know you knew this song." "I don't know who is worse Francesca, you or Ray. The two of you think I know nothing of modern music." "Benton...this isn't modern, it's a classic." "Really?" "Yeah, really." "Oh."

 

Ray leaned back in his chair watching Fraser and Francesca dancing together. Fraser had shed his hot serge hours ago and was dressed in only a white shirt and suspenders. He looked relaxed. Francesca on the other hand looked like she had been through a tornado. Her cream colored gown had numerous wrinkles and creases and her hair which had once been perfectly combed, now hung about her face and neck. Ray found himself blinking back tears. It only seemed like yesterday when he had seen her running in the backyard in her first holy communion gown, looking exactly the same way.

"Ray?" He jumped slightly as he felt a warm hand clasp his under the table. "Is there something wrong?" Thatcher's worried face stared back at him. "Nah, nothin's wrong. I'm just bein sappy that's all." Thatcher gave him a blank look. *Man, she's exactly like Benny.* "Frannie kinda reminds me of when she was little." He gestured out at the dance floor. "You could dress her up, but you could never keep her still. Pop always..." Visions of Francesca getting slapped by their father for getting messy flitted through his mind. "He would always yell at her for getting messed up."

Thatcher looked over at Fraser and Francesca dancing closely together. "I wouldn't call that messy Ray, I would call it wore out. She's had a lovely evening." "Yeah, she has. How about you? Did you have a 'lovely' evening as well?" He gave her a small smile, receiving one in return. "Yes, I'd say the night was successful." "Not yet it ain't." She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what do you think could make this evening a success?" "Gettin those two home safely and then..." he lowered his voice. "...me somehow goin home with you."

 

The song ended and Fraser slowly backed away from Francesca. "Are you ready to go home?" "Home. It sounds kinda funny knowing I'm not really going home." He smiled in understanding. "It may take a few weeks for you to get acclimated, but before you know it, you will be thinking of our house as your home." Grinning up at Fraser, she squeezed his hand. "Then let's go home then. I'm beat."

They walked over to where Ray, Thatcher and Mrs. Vecchio were gathering up gifts. Francesca grabbed a small box and shook it gently. "It feels like a vase or somethin glass." "Francesca, what is all of this?" Fraser looked at the table piled high with boxes. "I told you we'd get gifts." She grabbed a silk bag and opened it so Fraser could look inside it. "See these envelopes. They all have money in them." She closed the bag and grinned. "We won't need to buy anything else for the house. It's probably all here." She turned to her mother.

"Ma, where's Maria and Tony?" "They are loading up the station wagon." She grinned again. "Man we got a ton of stuff Benton." "Francesca, you shouldn't care about the gifts or money that you receive, you should..." "Accept the gifts and say thank you kindly. I did say thank you and I am grateful. Now how about you grab this box and take it out to Ray's car so we can get this stuff done with and go home." She leered suggestively at Fraser who quickly grabbed the box and took it out of the hall.

"Raymondo, I would like to ride with you so that I may talk with Francesca before she and Benton go home." Ray's head jerked up and he gave his mother a pained look. "Aw come on Ma, I was plannin on takin Meg home, can't you talk to Frannie now?" Mrs. Vecchio ignored Ray and looked at Thatcher. "Would you mind if I road along with you and Raymondo so that I could talk to my daughter?" Thatcher looked from the set expression on Mrs. Vecchio's face to the exasperated one on Ray's face. "No Mrs. Vecchio, I don't mind." She smiled at Thatcher. "Thank you." Picking a small box up, she walked away.

"What is wrong with you?! Why'd you say yes?" Thatcher bit her lip, trying not to smile. "Your mother wouldn't be very happy if I said no and she's not stupid Ray. Once you drop her off, then you can take me home." "Oh...yeah." He smiled again. "Good thinkin." Francesca smiled at Ray. "Why're you smilin at me like that!?"

"Why are you takin Meg home? I thought she drove her car here?" Ray sneered back at her. "Why does Ma need to talk to you now? Did you do somethin wrong tonight?" Francesca frowned thoughtfully. "Not that I know of." "Then why is Ma so hot to ride home with you so that she can 'talk' to you?" "I said I don't know." Grabbing a box, Francesca walked away, lost in her own thoughts. Thatcher smiled at him. "Nicely done 'Raymondo'." "Thank you kindly Meg."

 

Francesca cautiously made her way to the Riv. She had handed Maria the last gift to take back home and now she was going to 'her' home. Ray, Fraser, Thatcher and her mother were waiting patiently for her. Ray was fidgeting with his keys, Fraser, bless his heart, was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world, Thatcher looked bored and her mother...her mother's face was set in stone. *Uh oh. What did I do?*

Fraser opened the passenger side door of the Riv open. "Ma, would you care to sit in the front seat?" "Thank you, but no. I will ride in the back with Francesca and Meg." They all crawled into the car and Ray pulled away from the church for the short ride home. Francesca peeked out of the corner of her eye at her mother. She had thought that whatever needed to be said to her, could be done in the car, but Mrs. Vecchio only stared forward, not giving any indication that she wanted to speak with her. *Oh boy.*

Francesca began to nervously smooth her palms down the front of her gown. Then she plucked at a button. By the time they reached her and Fraser's small house, her heart was beating in fear, not excitement. No matter how hard she tried to think, she couldn't remember doing anything at the reception that would have embarrassed her mother. Ray and Fraser got out of the car, with Fraser offering his hand to Francesca. Once he helped her out, Mrs. Vecchio placed a hand on his arm.

"Before you take your wife into your home, I would like a word with her." Fraser stepped away from Francesca, giving her a questioning look. She gave him a big doe eyed look in return. Taking her hand, Mrs. Vecchio lead Francesca away from the others. When she was satisfied that they were out of hearing range, she began to speak.

"Francesca..." "Ma, I'm sorry, but I don't remember doin anything wrong!" Mrs. Vecchio gave her a confused look. "Why are you sorry if you didn't do anything? Did you do something that you are ashamed of?" "No." "Good." She clasped Francesca's hands in her own. "I have talked to you of this before. This will be the last time that you will be only my daughter. You are now Benton's wife and there are many responsibilities that you will have, as you know from your first marriage. I want you to be happy, but no matter how much you love Benton...if he should ever do anything to hurt you..." "Ma!" Mrs. Vecchio squeezed her hands and shook her head.

"Wait Francesca. Let me finish. If he should ever hurt you, do not stay with him as you did with Gino. Do you understand me?" "Yes, but..." "I know...you love him. This marriage will be different because the one you have chosen this time loves you in return." She gave Francesca a small smile. "Love can make the hard times easier. 'A burden shared is light' my mother told me." Mrs. Vecchio took a deep breath.

"I am sorry that I did not teach you what is right when you were growing up." Francesca frowned at her, clearly confused again. "Your father...he was like Gino. I too stayed with a man that did not love me in return. It was different when I was young, but you didn't have to suffer the things that I did, but because I gave you the wrong examples you did. I want to apologize for this." "Ma, you did what you could." "No...I did nothing. I saw what Gino was doing. I should have stopped him, but I didn't. Never let a man own you Francesca. Let him love you, but never let him feel as if you are nothing. Do you understand?" "Yes Ma."

Reaching forward, she hugged Francesca tightly. Releasing her she smiled. "Now go to your husband, I would like another grandchild." Francesca's mouth dropped open and then she began to laugh. "Ma!" Mrs. Vecchio's smile grew wider. "I know what you two have planned and I know that you have 'practiced' this for some time." Francesca could feel her face growing hot in embarrassment. "Do not forget that a baby is a part of you both and it will take the two of you to raise it. Do not let Benton forget that as well." "You don't have to worry Ma, I think Benton is more maternal than I am."

Mrs. Vecchio took Francesca's hand once more and lead her back to where Fraser stood. Francesca could tell by the slight blush on his cheeks, that he had heard every word that they had said. Placing Francesca's hand in Fraser's, Mrs. Vecchio stepped back. "Here is your wife. I will see you both at dinner tomorrow." Without another word, she got back in the Riv. Ray and Thatcher gave Francesca curious looks. "I'll tell you later." Ray shook his head as he helped Thatcher into the front seat. "Weird. My family is weird."

Walking around to the driver's side, he opened the door and paused. Leaning over the roof of the car he smiled at Fraser. "Benny, you better be good to my sister or I swear to God, I'll kill you." Fraser hugged Francesca as he grinned back at Ray. "Understood." Ray slid into the front seat and pulled away from the curb, knowing that he would never have to worry about Fraser hurting his sister. Looking across the seat at Thatcher, he smiled again. Now all he had to do was drop his mother off and he could spend the rest of the night with her.

 

"Francesca...how did your mother know that we...practiced?" Francesca laughed slightly as she spoke. "I don't know, maybe she heard us?" She could feel Fraser stiffen up behind her. "She did not hear us. How could she? She was never home when we...when...you know." "Yes she was Benton. Remember that time on the sofa? She was there. Maybe she snuck down and watched us." He pulled away from her and turned her around to face him, his face a mixture of panic and disgust.

"Now that's just silly! The only way she could know would be if you or Maria told her." "I don't know. Maybe she has hearing like you do. You heard Ma and I talkin, so maybe she heard us. Ya never know about Ma. She has a way of knowing things." Fraser stood and stared down at her. Without any warning he grabbed Francesca, sweeping her off her feet, cradling her in his arms. "Put me down!"

Ignoring her, he walked to the front door, setting her down, Fraser unlocked the door and pushed it open. He immediately grabbed Francesca again, carrying her through the door, he set her down on her feet. "Your mother didn't hear us, Francesca. If she did she would have stopped us." Francesca snorted. "Yeah right. She adores you. I think she was hoping I'd get pregnant so you'd 'have' to marry me." "Francesca..." Removing his stetson, he placed it on the coffee table.

He stopped speaking as he saw her staring around the room, her eyes wide, her voice came out as a whisper. "Benton...where did you get all of this?" Smiling, he hugged her from behind. "I bought the electronics at..." "No, I mean the cabinets and the floor and..." She gestured feebly with her hands. "I made them. I did have plenty of time to work on the house while we were...apart." "You did all of this?!" She turned around and stared at him in wonder. "Yes."

Francesca quickly walked past him, switching the light on in the kitchen she gasped. Going from cupboard to cupboard, she found everything finished, all the drawer and cabinets were done and filled with the dishes and glasses that they had picked out. Food filled the shelve. Pulling the refrigerator door open, she laughed. "At least some things never change." Closing the door, she walked over to where Fraser stood at the kitchen entrance. Grabbing him in a big hug, she began to cry.

"Francesca, what's wrong?!" Moving her away from him, he wiped the tears from her face, surprised to see that she was smiling as she cried. "You don't understand...I mean he...Gino...he never did anything for me." Smiling, Fraser pulled Francesca back into a tight hug. "You will never want for anything Francesca. If it is within my means to get it for you, you will have it." Her voice was muffled against his chest. "You don't understand." She pushed back from him and grinned. "It's not what you bought. It's what you did. You made this house 'our' home."

Placing her hands on his face, Francesca drew Fraser down for a kiss. It was a lingering kiss, full of love and tenderness. As she went to release him, he increased the kiss, turning it into one of passion and want. Breaking away from her, Fraser once again scooped her up in his arms, carrying her up the stairs to the entrance of the bedroom. Setting her down, he kissed her once more. "Close your eyes and wait here for a moment." She smiled. "Why?" Smiling back at her, he kissed her again before opening the bedroom door just enough so he could get into the room.

"Benton...what are you doing?" "One moment please." In less than a minute the door flung open and Fraser scooped her back up. "Close your eyes." "Why?" She could feel her excitement growing. "Just close them Francesca. I promise you it will only take a moment." Swinging her feet back and forth, she closed her eyes, biting her lip, she smiled as Fraser carried her into the room. "Can I open them now?" "No." Walking a few steps further, Fraser shifted his hold on her before setting her gently back on her feet. "Now you may look."

Opening her eyes, Francesca began dancing in place as she looked around the room. "Oh my God! How did you...I mean...how..." Fraser smiled broadly as he watched her flit across the room like a little girl on Christmas morning. Several vases of flowers were placed around the room, the only illumination came from the ivy and lights that were wound around the head board, casting a warm glow over the bed. The plain window has been replaced by a stained glass window causing the moonlight to cast a pattern of color across the bedspread. The light blue comforter had been replaced by a green ivy patterned one, trimmed in lace.

"I can't believe you!" She ran up and hugged Fraser tightly. "I only showed you that picture once!" "I remembered how much you liked it. You had said that it would make a wonderful bedroom for our wedding night." "But I was only dreaming Benton! How did you do this?!" She looked at his smiling face. "You made all of this too?" "Yes." "The comforter?" "Yes." "The window?" "Yes." She stared at Fraser in awe. "You did all of this?" "Yes Francesca." "Why?" "Why?" "Yes Benton? Why."

Taking her hands in his, Fraser smiled gently down at her. "Because I love you. Because you've given me a reason to live. You've given me, my life back." His grip on her hands had tightened as he talked to her, his eyes glistening with tears. Grabbing him, she hugged Fraser with every ounce of her strength. This was what she had been searching for all her life. A man to share everything with. A man that would love her more than anything in the world. "I love you Benton Fraser." He hugged her back. "I love you Francesca...Fraser."

 

As he pulled away from the curb, Ray looked at his rear view mirror. He could see the darkened figures of Fraser and Francesca as they stood in the front yard, hugging one another. Several emotion ran through him, causing him to tighten his grip on the steering wheel. There was the sadness of knowing that his little sister wasn't going to be coming home any more. There was happiness for both his sister and his friend, that they finally found what they were looking for with each other. And in the back of his mind there still lingered feelings of dread and regret. Some part of him still felt that this wasn't right. That nothing good was going to come of it.   
Pushing his feelings aside, Ray tried to concentrate on the here and now. He was in the Riv, getting ready to drop his mother off at the house. Casting a quick glance at Thatcher, he smiled. Once he got rid of his mother, it would be his turn to work a little romance on the woman beside him. One special night all to themselves. No having to leave each other, no having to hurry up and rush home. Just him and her, spending one bliss filled evening, enjoying their respective company and pleasures.   
A he neared the house, Ray began slowing down, preparing to pull into the driveway. *Dump Ma and then off to Heaven!* "Raymondo? Why are we stopping now? I thought you had said you were going to take Meg home?" Ray cringed. He could see Thatcher beside him, cringing as well. "Uh...I figured I'd drop you off first and then take Meg home...being that we were going right by here." "Ah." Ray froze. Ah. That one little phase that Fraser used that always signaled a major roadblock to anything he had in mind. Ray's voice sounded angry to his own ears, but he didn't care if his mother heard it or not. Enough was enough.   
"What is ah supposed to mean?!" "Ray..." Thatcher placed a warning hand on his arm, but he shrugged her off. "Ma... what do ya mean ah?" He stopped the car in the road, twisting around in his seat he looked back at his mother. Mrs. Vecchio regarded him coolly, her voice calm, which only served to piss him off more. "Ah means that I would like to ride with you to drop Meg off and then I would like to ride back home with you. We have some things to discuss." "Like what? What do we have to talk about that can't wait until tomorrow?"   
Mrs. Vecchio shifted in the seat, settling herself comfortably against the back. "We have discussed some things before that I feel we must talk about again." Ray could feel his blood boiling. "Look Ma..." Thatcher leaned over and grabbed his arm tightly, talking in a low voice. "Ray, please take me home. It's getting late and I'm sure your mother would like to retire early. She does have the dinner to prepare tomorrow." Mrs. Vecchio gave Thatcher a pleased smile. Thank you Meg." Thatcher turned to her and forced a smile of her own out before turning back in her seat to look out the windshield.   
Whipping around, Ray jerked the car out of neutral and stepped on the gas a little too hard, causing the wheels to spin in place. A loud squeal erupted as the rubber caught traction on the pavement. "Raymondo! Was that necessary?" Ray's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel again. "Sorry Ma." He kept his eyes locked forward, trying not to scream at his mother. *Damn it to hell!* The ride to Thatcher's apartment would have been in complete silence if it weren't for Mrs. Vecchio softly humming the wedding song to herself.   
Pulling up to the apartment, Ray jumped out of the Riv, stalking around the vehicle, he jerked the passenger car door open, practically pulling Thatcher out. Dragging her by the hand, he lead her up to the apartment entrance. "Ray would you calm down please." She jerked her hand away from him and crossed her arms in front of her. "Was that display entirely necessary?" " Gesturing wildly at the Riv, his voice rose.   
"Necessary?! You don't have 'that' for a mother. Damn it Meg, she let Fraser screw Frannie all over the house and not 'once' did she say a thing to them! Not once!" "Ray..." "No! I am sick and tired of this shit! I'm gonna go over there and tell her she can go to hell!" As he turned to go back, Thatcher grabbed him roughly by his upper arm. Her hold was tight and surprisingly powerful for such a small woman. "You will do no such thing Raymond Vecchio!" Ray stared back at Thatcher in complete surprise. "What?" "If you go over to that car and berate your mother over this, I'll never see you again. Do I make myself clear?" His mouth dropped open.   
"Now wait just a minute! You couldn't wait to be with me tonight and now you're takin her side?!" "There is no side, but you do need to see it her way. Fraser and your sister had known each other for quite some time. Apparently your mother had felt that they should be together. You and I have only recently begun a relationship." "What does that have to do with anything?" Thatcher sighed and closed her eyes, counting to ten.   
"What it means is your mother is extremely old fashioned. She probably still approves of arranged marriages. To her, Fraser and Frannie were an 'arrangement'. Didn't you ever notice all the little things she did when they were at the same place? Didn't she always make sure Frannie was seated near him or across from him? Didn't she always run interference with you so that they could spend some time together?" Ray stared blankly back at her.   
"Look...I don't like this any more than you do, but if I'm ever going to get your mother's approval, we had better play by her rules." "You're kiddin me right?" "No, I'm serious. I've had to 'play by the rules' in the R.C.M.P. I've waited and watched and I've always gotten what I wanted in the end. Believe me, the results will be worth the wait." "How do you know?" "Trust me on this. If you lay low and do everything your mother wants now, we'll be able to have the same allowances made for us that she made for Fraser and Frannie."   
Casting a glare at the Riv, he shook his head no. "This is so stupid." "Just do it...for me." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Play the game...just for a while." Sighing, he frowned again. "For a while. But don't expect me to put up with her for too long." Thatcher smiled. "You'll do what she says for as long as she says it. Understand?" Looking down at Thatcher's smiling face, he relented. "Okay. I'll do this...just for you."   
Reaching up, she kissed him, letting her hands stray lower so that she could squeeze his ass and pull him to her. "Thank you." Pressing himself against her, Ray rested his forehead against hers. "The things I do for you." Giving him another kiss, she moved away. "Call me in the morning. Maybe you can come over for a little visit before dinner?" She gave him a wicked smile before turning and going in to the apartment building. He waited until Thatcher flicked the lights on and off from her apartment, signaling that she was in safely. Turning, he walked slowly back to the Riv, cringing once more, knowing that he was going to be trapped in lecture land all the way home.

Backing away from Fraser, Francesca took his hands in hers, walking slowly backward toward the bed. Unlike their rushed sexual frenzy in the limo, she was bound and determined to make this night something special. Something that he wouldn't forget. All the plans she had made to use specific positions or special oils had flow out the window. She wanted something gentle and pure with him. Something like his soul.   
Pulling him down to the edge of the bed, they sat shyly regarding one another. She giggled nervously. "I don't know why I feel like this, I mean we've done this a million times already." Running a thumb over the back of her hand, he smiled shakily. For once in his life he didn't correct her. She was exaggerating about the number of times they had been together. "This is different...it's..." He shrugged his shoulders not knowing how to place what he was feeling into words. "I know what you mean."   
Reaching up, she began to undo his collar, the sound of the velcro opening seemed extremely loud in the quiet room. Fingers worked their way down shining gold buttons, slowly revealing the pristine white of the henley beneath the red serge. Running a palm slowly down his chest, she smiled again. "I use to have dreams about doing this to you in the precinct." A slight blush stained his cheeks, but he didn't drop his eyes from hers. "No you silly. Not 'that'. I was talkin about touching you. I always liked it when you'd take off your jacket. These shirts always fit you so nice."   
Reaching out, Fraser began to unbutton Francesca's gown, letting his fingers brush over her exposed skin. "I've always wanted to do this to you...but...my imagination went a bit further than yours." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Naughty boy." Tucking his head down to cover his smile, he continued to undo her gown. Once he was just past her waist, he took his hands, letting them run under the material at her shoulders, pushing it down and off. His hands strayed back to her shoulders, where he ran his fingers over her collarbone.   
Closing her eyes, Francesca sighed as his fingers trailed over her skin. It always surprised her how someone with hands a calloused as Fraser, could have such a light touch. Hands that were made to build. Hands that were used so harshly one moment would then change. They became gentle and loving. Musical and artistic. Lips gently brushed against hers, then pressed slightly harder. Tongue met tongue as mouths opened, welcoming the moist intimate caress of one another.   
Releasing their kiss, Fraser stood and removed his serge, letting it drop carelessly to the floor. She watched as he undid his boots and jophers, these to joining the serge on the floor. When he rejoined her on the bed, all that remained were his starched white boxers. Pushing her gently back on the bed, Fraser undid the remainder of the gown, pushing it back so that she lay in a pool of cream colored satin. Taking her shoes off, he dropped them over the side of the bed. Returning to her feet, he took one in his hands and began to slowly message it.   
Biting her lip, Francesca moaned. "God, I love it when you do that." "This?" He pressed a thumb into her arch. "Or this?" This time he cupped her heal and rubbed it. "All of it. I love it when you rub my feet." Placing a kiss on her toes, he smiled. "I know you do." He continued rubbing her feet and then slowly made his way up her body. Her panty hose and silk panties were pulled down and off, again tossed to the floor. "You're making quite the mess Benton." "I'll clean it up in the morning."   
Moving up, he lay beside her, running a hand teasingly over a breast before removing her bra. Looking at him, she gave him a lazy smile. "Do you still like what you see?" "Oh yes...more than ever. I don't think I could ever tire of looking at you." Fraser moved so that he lay on top of her, his weight resting on his arms as he looked down into her eyes. Without speaking, he leaned down and kissed her. As he deepened the kiss, Francesca ran her arms over his back and down to his ass, where she slid them under the boxers. Pushing them down, she kneaded the flesh under her hands, marveling at the tightness of the muscles bunch beneath her caress.   
With each kiss given and taken, Francesca felt herself relaxing. She had never thought that making love could put her in this type of mood. In the past, sex was usually frenzied and sweaty. Only the occasional moments with Fraser had been something more sensual. Now it was as if she were truly a part of him. They belonged together forever. She knew deep down in her heart, the only thing that would part her from him would be death.   
He pulled back slightly to look at her and smiled softly. "What are you thinking of?" Running a hand over his cheek, she trailed fingers over his lips, receiving a light kiss on her palm. "I'm thinking of what it's gonna be like growing old with you." For a brief moment, a look of sadness flickered over his features and was gone. "I love you, you know that don't you?" Pulling him down to her, she whispered in his ear. "That I'll never doubt."   
Trailing kisses along his neck, she smiled as she licked at his jugular. Nipping a path along his shoulder, she came back to the tender flesh of his neck, gently suckling it. Moving a hand between them, she smiled once more as her hand came in contact with his erection. Slowly pushing him off her, they lay side by side as she slid her hand in his boxers, fingers meeting smooth silken skin. Her touch was soft as she ran her fingers over the tip, feeling the moisture that had seeped out.   
Capturing his mouth, she sought entry and as his lips parted, she greedily sucked at his tongue as she began to gently tug and pull at his length. With each pull, she felt him tighten. Running her hand further down, she cupped his balls, rolling them in her palm, feeling their heaviness. She whispered into his mouth. "Benton...can you remove your boxers please?" Reaching down, Fraser pushed them down to his feet, kicking them off.   
Wrapping his arms around Francesca, Fraser moved away from her mouth, slowly moving downward. As he took a nipple and began teasingly nibbling at it, she sighed, clutching his head to her chest as she ran fingers through his dark hair. As he kissed a path down her stomach, she tensed. "No." His head came up, his face confused. "No?" Shaking her head, she smiled at him. "No...not now...I want to feel you in me. I want to be a part of you."   
Placing a lingering kiss on her belly, he lay his head on her stomach and looked up at her, his face innocent. "Are you sure? I would like to." Running her hands over his hair, she tugged lightly at it. "I'm sure. Besides, I want this to last." "I could make sure it would last." "I can't promise you 'I' would last." With a relenting sigh, he sat up and lay beside her, running his hands down her side. Leaning forward, he kissed her, letting his hand stray further south. Fingers worked their way into moist flesh and their kiss deepened.   
Francesca moaned as he stroked and rubbed at her innermost core. Parting her legs further, he took that as an invitation. Continuing his gentle touch, he kissed a path down her neck and shoulder, once again moving to a breast. Soft butterfly kisses were trailed down her stomach. Looking back at her, he smiled at her expression of bliss. Lips slightly parted, breathing quickened. Moving fingers into her, she pressed against his hand, wriggling her hips suggestively. With a cautious look he quickly moved downward.   
Breathing in her musky sent, he kissed her moist center, feeling her tense up once more. "Benton..." Casting a quick glance upward, he smiled. She wouldn't be refusing him what he wanted. Not now. She was ready for him. He slowly trailed his tongue across her, hearing a light moan escape her lips. Taking the small nub into his mouth, he suckled it like a nipple, flicking his tongue over it until she wreathed beneath him.   
Moving so that he was comfortably settled between her spread legs, he let his tongue slide between the folds of flesh, tasting her center. "Benton...stop..." He had heard her make protests like this before and smiled. She knew he wouldn't stop until he had her calling his name. Tightening his grip around her thighs, he buried his mouth against her, probing his tongue deeper. Her hands reached down and tugged at his hair, her voice begging him to stop.   
Briefly stopping, he looked up at her. "Why should I stop?" Moving down, he placed a light kiss on her, running his tongue along her sex. "Stop...I'm going to...I don't want to..." "Why?" Again he licked at her, holding her legs tightly so she couldn't pull away from him. "Why should I stop Francesca?" Continuing his gentle assault on her swollen flesh, he closed his eyes and smiled to himself as she jerked back. She convulsed against his lips and tongue as she came. "Stop! Benton stop!"   
Licking at her until her back arched, he finally released her, crawling his way up her body, he settled between her legs, slowly pushing himself against her wetness. Looking at him though glazed eyes, Francesca moaned deeply as he entered her. Every inch of her being was still on edge and he was sending her further down the path. With each thrust into her, she tensed. "Oh God..."   
Leaning down, he kissed her deeply, increasing his pace so that they rocked together. "Do you want me to stop Francesca?" She shook her head no, locking her legs around his waist. Letting her nails trail down his back, she dug them into the flesh of his ass as she pulled him to her.   
Breathing heavily, she moved from his mouth and latched onto the soft spot on his neck. The spot she knew that he loved her to kiss. Biting him, she sucked at the flesh, tasting his skin, letting her tongue swirl a pattern over and over. She didn't realize just how hard she had bitten him until she pulled back. Teeth marks were distinct, a bruise already forming on the pale white of his neck.   
With a satisfied smile, she thrust her hips against his and returned to his neck. With each bite, she could feel him tensing, his thrusting growing more urgent. Leave it to Fraser to be turned on by being bitten. "Francesca..." Her name was called in a tight voice, a hand pushed her face from his neck. Pushing himself back, Fraser held himself above her as he quickened his movements. Moving a hand between them, she grasped his erection as it slid into her. He moaned at the contact, so she tightened her hold on him as he pushed into her.   
His eyes snapped open to look into her eyes as he came, she could feel him pulse within her, the delicious movement inside her very center, spilling himself into her. She had thought that after he had cum, he would have stopped, but he kept a slow steady rhythm against her hand, letting only the tip of his penis slide back into her. She knew what he was doing and she smiled up at him. "You're doing it again Benton." He gave her a slight smiled. "Yes, I am." She grinned up at him. "What if I don't." "Oh...you will."  
Pushing her hand aside, he pinned her arms above her head as he continued to lazily move into her. "Benton..." Pulling back, he paused before thrusting hard against her, hearing her cry out. "Yes?" He pulled slowly back, pausing, waiting for her to speak. "Yes Francesca?" As she opened her mouth to speak, he thrust back into her, causing her to moan. "What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said?"   
Biting her lip, she shook her head. "What?" As she open her mouth again, he quickly thrust against her. "Noooooo..." "No what Francesca?" Before she could protest, he began to thrust heavily against her, watching her face as she moaned. He knew that she liked it this way. All it took was her being pinned down and him pushing hard against her and he knew that she would be his. He continued thrusting against her until she cried out once more. As she convulsed around his length, he jerked against her, feeling himself cum. Only she could bring make him to peak so quickly again.   
Slowly rocking his hips so that he barely moved within her, he leaned down and kissed Francesca. "I love you." Her arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him deeply. Pulling back, he looked into her face and smiled, brushing a hand though her hair. Looking up at him, she smiled back, her voice teasing. "You aren't going anywhere are you?" Looking between them, he then kissed her as he pushed himself further into her warmth. "No, I believe I like it where I am."   
Snickering, she drew him down into a kiss. The lay looking at each other until he slid from her. "You like doing that don't you?" "Yes I do. I like being that way with you." "I like it too." Tucking against one another, they cuddled on the bed, reveling in the feeling of contentment and happiness. If this was any indication, then they knew they would never disappoint one another. Two people who only wanted to please the other, would make a marriage work. 

 

Ray slowly walked toward the Riv. For the first time in his life, he dreaded getting in his beloved car. He could face hardened criminals. He could face gun fire. He could face Thatcher in a rage. But his mother sitting calmly in the passenger seat made his heart speed up and his palms sweat in sheer terror. She was the only person in the world that had the ability to make him feel like he was an eight year old boy caught pulling the wings off a fly. Steeling himself, he opened the driver side door and slid into the seat.   
Avoiding looking across the seat at her, he placed the Riv in gear and pulled away from Thatcher's apartment complex. They drove in silence for a few miles, his hands once again tightly gripping the steering column. When she finally spoke, he jumped at the sound of her calm, quiet voice.   
"Do you not think the wedding went well?" "Uh...yeah...it was really nice." He stared at the road ahead of him, the street lights flashing a pattern in the car's interior. He could feel the tension building inside him. All she talked about was the wedding. How beautiful Francesca was. How handsome Fraser was. How nice everything was. *When is she gonna say it?!* "Raymondo, do you not think that Francesca and Benton will produce beautiful children?" He paused, knowing that she was leading up to something. What it was he didn't know.   
"Uh...yeah...I guess." "You guess? Your sister is beautiful is she not?" "Yes Ma." "And Benton is very handsome, no?" "No...I mean, yes Ma." "And together this will give me beautiful grandchildren." "I guess they could." "Raymondo, you guess too much. Either you know or you don't know." "Yes Ma." "And when you have children they will be beautiful also." Ray cringed. Here it was. This was what all the drivel his mother had been chatting about was leading up to.   
"I gues...I mean, I...yeah, they'll be good lookin." He peeked out of the corner of his eye seeing Mrs. Vecchio nodding her head in approval. "And when do you think you will give me a grandchild, Raymondo?" He froze for a moment in a panic. How in the hell was he going to answer her without painting himself in a corner? "When I get married you'll get them." She nodded her head yes again.   
"If you were to 'accidentally' produce a child before you married, how would you handle such a situation? How would it appear to the neighbors and the church if you were not married?" Holding his breath Ray tried to push the anger growing inside of him. Having to sit back for these past few month and watch Fraser and his sister basically throw caution to the wind when it came to sex and babies, he had enough of it all. If his mother wanted to be pious, then maybe it was time she knew the truth about her 'perfect' son-in-law.   
"Ya know Ma, I'm kinda gettin tired of this." "Tired of what Raymondo? Driving? We are almost home." He looked up the street and saw their house, the front porch lights still on. "I'm tired of you tellin me how to live my life. I'm tired of you seein Benny as Mister Perfect. Do you think him and Frannie waited until tonight to consummate their wedding vows? Huh?! No. They've been humpin like rabbits since the first chance they got to be alone." "We are 'not' talking of Benton, we are talking about you."   
Pulling into the driveway, he slammed the gears into park and turned the car off. "Well, I'm talkin about them. Did you know that Frannie thought she was knocked up about a month ago? I didn't see you pullin her aside and havin a little chat with her. I didn't see you doggin Benny about havin sex before he married Frannie. Why can't you leave me and Meg alone?!"   
He could see the anger flashing in her eyes. "Does Meg have a ring on her finger? Have you promised yourself to her for all eternity?" *She's crazy. My mother is nuts!* "What does that have to do with anythin?!" "It has to do with commitment and marriage. It has to do with responsibility and family. You have learned too many things from your father." She crossed herself. "God rest his soul." Giving Ray a hard look she continued. "Your father knew nothing of commitment, yet I married him.This I found out too late. You too have not learned."   
"You're marriage to Angie failed because of this and I do not approve of your...catting around without the slightest idea of what may happen!" She threw her arms in the air. "If you produce a child, what is there to keep her here? Huh? She is not family. She is not your wife." Each word was punctuated with an angry jab of her hands at him. "She will take a job in her land and you would never see your child. You would have pictures and you can not hold a picture in your arms and tell it you love it. A picture will not be the same as hearing your name called or watching your child grow. Is this what you want? Is this your idea of how things are done?"   
Running a hand over his head, he tried to calm down. "Ma...just because you..." *Sex, I can't say sex, it sounds too...I don't know.* "Just because Meg and I would...you know...it doesn't mean we'd have a kid. There are ways of preventin it." Mrs. Vecchio smiled. "As your sister well knows. Ask her how she had her last child. Nothing can prevent God's will, Raymondo. The only way to prevent this is to abstain." *I can 'not' believe I'm havin this talk with her!*   
"Ma...I know you mean well, but I'm an adult. I know what to do and I make sure I do it." "That is the problem Raymondo. You do 'it' without thinking. You do 'it' without love. That is not what 'it' is for." His mouth dropped open. "What you 'do' is for love and making family. It is not for fun. It is not something that is a game. I am ashamed to say that this too you learned from your father. He too saw it as nothing more than pleasure."   
"Aw geez Ma! I don't want to hear this!" Her voice grew louder. "I did not speak up. I let your father do what he wanted. He was a man, I was his wife. What was I to do?" She shrugged her shoulders. "You are my son. I am talking to you of this now to stop what your father has started. When you express your love for a woman with this act it is special. It is wonderful. When you act like animals on the street, doing it without caution, doing it without love, then you too become nothing more than an animal. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?"   
"Yes, I do understand Ma, but things are different with me and Meg. This isn't about that." She cocked her head to the side and smiled slightly. "is it Raymondo? Look deep within yourself. Is this nothing more than your wanting her or is there something that I haven't seen yet?" Resting his head against the steering wheel, he sigh in frustration. "I don't know Ma. I feel...I feel good when I'm with her. I feel like I'm somebody. I..." Sitting back in the seat, he stared out the windshield and then at her. "Ma, I really do like her a lot."   
Nodding her head in understanding, she smiled again. "Liking someone is not the same as loving them Raymondo." "I know." "Maybe there is more than you see after all." He gave her a curious look. "Maybe you need to look deeper within yourself, to see what it is." Patting him on the arm, she gathered her purse and a small package at her feet. Opening the car door, she got out and walked up the porch steps and into the house, leaving Ray sitting alone in the Riv.   
Leaning back, he slouched and he rested his head on the seat. Did he more than like Thatcher? Could his mother see something that he couldn't? *Nah...I like her, but I don't know about loving her. Geez, it's not like it was with Angie.* Closing his eyes, he began to think of his ex-wife. The moments he shared with her. The days spent doing nothing more than talking and being together. The nights of passionate lovemaking. He jerked forward, his eyes snapping open. The face in his mind wasn't Angie's, it was Thatcher. Meg with her dark brown hair and flashing eyes. Meg with her aristocratic bearing. Not Angie with her short hair and rough street smart ways. *Oh my God! I love her!*

Francesca awoke to a dimly lit room. It took her a moment to digest the fact that she wasn't in her old bed. As she rolled over on her side a wave of nausea hit her. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep even breaths. *Great. This is just great.* Once the nauseous feeling had passed, she opened her eyes again, looking at the motionless figure beside her. Fraser was laying on his back, his chest gently rising and falling, the only indication that he was alive. He slept soundly, making no noise. Silently pushing the comforter back, she slid from the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible.   
Casting one last glance at his sleeping figure, she padded softly down the hall to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she squinted her eyes. Her head hurt and she felt sick to her stomach. Flipping the lid back, she sat on the toilet, hugging herself. If Fraser woke up, she knew she would get a lecture. He had repeatedly warned her at the reception to not drink so much champagne and now she was paying the price. Stretching forward, she opened the cabinet beneath the sink and grabbed the waste basket, setting it at her feet.   
Francesca didn't know how long she had been sitting there when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Francesca?" Fraser knelt before her, giving her a concerned look. "Huh?" "Francesca, are you feeling unwell?" She blinked at him and noticed that the light coming in the window was brighter than when she first came in. *Crap.* She had fallen asleep. "Uh...yeah...I'm fine." "If you're fine, then why are you sleeping while..." He gestured at her, his face turning red. Looking at herself, she blushed in embarrassment as well. She was sitting on the toilet in the nude with the trash basket by her feet.   
In a small voice she answered him. "I kinda...feel sick to my stomach." He nodded in understanding, but he didn't say anything to her. Reaching over, Fraser pulled a washcloth off the towel rack and rinsed it in cold water, gently wiping her face with it. "You're not gonna give me a lecture?" "No." "Why not?" He smiled slightly. "You didn't exactly lecture me and I believe that I was much worse than this." She smiled back at him. "Yeah...you were kinda bad."   
They made an odd pair. One sitting on the toilet and the other kneeling on the floor. Both of them naked. Francesca giggled at the idea of Ray walking in and finding them like this. "What is so amusing?" "This." She made a weak gesture at herself and then him. "Look at us. What if Ray were to come in here?" He smiled again. "I think he would run screaming from the room like he did when he found us in the kitchen."   
After a few minutes, Francesca could feel her stomach relaxing enough that she wanted to get up and get ready for the day ahead of them. Eying the shower, she smiled at Fraser. "You wanna get a shower or a bath?" "Are you up to it?" With an evil grin, she looked down at his crotch. "Yeah I am, but what about you?" Looking down at himself, he sighed. "I thought you wanted to get clean?" "So...we can get clean and have some fun while we're at it." Shaking his head, he stood and pulled the shower curtain back. "Shower or bath?" "Shower."   
As he adjusted the water, Francesca stood, grabbing the edge of the sink for support. She still felt lightheaded and nauseous, but she wasn't about to let Fraser know that. It was bad enough he knew she was sick from drinking too much, but it would be even worse if he knew just how sick she was. Lucky for her, she hardly ever threw up or she'd be in trouble. No matter how much Fraser said he wouldn't say anything, she knew the moment she puked, he'd have to make some type of comment.   
Pushing away from the sink, she wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking her head against his back. Slowly twisting around, Fraser held her gently to him, kissing the top of her head, running his hands slowly down her back. This was what he wanted in his life. Small moments like this. Someone to share morning showers and hugs with. He couldn't bring himself to say anything snide or smart to her about being sick, when all he wanted to do is cry in happiness that she was in his life. Francesca had given him so much to be grateful for.   
As she tilted her face up to look at him, he kissed her, brushing the loose tendrils of hair back from her face. Pulling back, he made a face. They both spoke at the same time. "Sorry." They both started laughing. "Maybe we should brush our teeth first?" "Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea." Reaching down, he turned the water off.   
With a grin, Francesca opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a toothbrush, handing it to Fraser, she grabbed another. Squirting the toothpaste on her toothbrush, she began to scrub the pasty 'night taste' from her mouth. She stopped in mid-brushing, seeing Fraser staring at her. She mumbled 'What?' through a mouthful of toothpaste.   
"I've...well...I've never...that is..." Spitting the toothpaste in the sink, she rinsed it and smiled a foamy white smile at him. "You've never brushed your teeth in front of anyone?" "Well...yes. My Mum, my grandmother, my..." "Besides family." "Yes, but not..." He waved a hand at her. "Me?" He tucked his head down slightly. "No...I mean...I've never...not in front of a woman." Francesca laughed, spitting small flecks of toothpaste across Fraser's chest. He looked down at her hand as she wiped it off him. "Sorry."   
Pointing the tooth brush at him, she smiled. "You mean to tell me, that after all the times you were with other women, you never once brushed your teeth in front of them?" "No." "Geez Benton. Here..." She grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed a dollop of toothpaste on it. Holding it up to his mouth she grinned. "Open wide." "Francesca..." She jammed the toothbrush in his mouth. Clamping down on it so he wasn't gagged by it, Fraser quickly pulled the brush from his mouth.   
"Was that really necessary Francesca?" "Yup." She continued brushing her teeth as she stared at him. He still wouldn't brush his teeth. Sighing Francesca stopped. "If you don't brush you're teeth, 'we' won't get a shower." She smiled again as Fraser slowly placed the toothbrush in his mouth and began to brush his teeth. Rinsing her mouth out, she placed her toothbrush on the sink. "I always knew you could be bribed with something, I just never thought it would be sex."   
Spitting in the sink, he gave her a dirty look and rinsed his mouth out. "You didn't bribe me." "Uh huh." Stepping in the shower, she turned the water back on, adjusting the temperature. "If you get in the shower now, I'll give you a blow job." She laughed as he dropped his toothbrush to the floor and hopped into the shower. Yanking the curtain into place, she smiled up at him. "See...I told you, you could be bribed." 

 

Ray sat in the Riv, stunned. He loved Thatcher. When in the hell did it happen? He knew he admired and liked her, but love? Love was something that left you giddy and sick at the same time. Love made you feel like you were floating on cloud nine. Love didn't carry a gun and it sure in the hell wasn't Canadian. To him, love was always with a woman who was Italian. A woman who could cook and clean. A woman named Angie or Irene. He couldn't love Thatcher. Could he?   
Thatcher was the opposite of everything he had ever wanted in a woman. She was strong headed, career oriented and couldn't make lasagna if her life depended on it. Thatcher's idea of cooking was throwing a plate in the microwave and pushing a button. She was demanding, opinionated and stubborn. "Oh my God. She's me." Opening the car door, he made his way up the steps to the porch. Standing by the door, he leaned his head against the wall.   
It was all his mothers fault. She had to go and point things out to him, that he really didn't want to see. Not just yet. He wasn't ready to love anyone. Sex and companionship were all that he was looking for. Someone to spend his time with. Someone to go to the movies with. He wasn't looking to get married and start having children like his sister and Fraser. He wasn't sure if he was suited to raising a family. His pop sucked at it and he didn't want to make the same mistakes.   
He tried picturing Thatcher pregnant. He thought about what their child would look like. *Yeah...she said she would have one. Geez...do I want a boy or a girl?* Shaking his head, he jumped away from the wall and yanked the door open. "Aw man!" Stomping up the stairs, he went to his room and paced back and forth. "I can't believe this shit." Pausing in front of the dresser, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. "You are 'not' in love with her and you don't want to have a kid." The man in the mirror looked back at him accusingly.   
Flopping down on the bed, he let his chin fall to his chest and sighed. "Yeah Vecchio, who are you kiddin." When he had married Angie, he wanted her to get pregnant right away. He wanted them to have children right away, so he could enjoy them while he was young. Things just didn't work out the way he had planned. Angie did get pregnant, even when she said she wasn't ready and when she miscarried, he could tell that she was more relieved than upset. He on the other hand, had been devastated.   
After that, things were never the same between them. To hide his grief and disappointment, he began working longer. When ever he would bring up the subject of trying to have another baby, Angie would brush him off. She still wasn't ready. She would never be ready to have any children with him. The divorce was quick and clean, with neither one of them wanting to drag it out any longer than possible. The faster it was over with, the quicker they could make new lives elsewhere. Angie had moved on. Two years after their divorce, she was remarried. In another two years, she had a baby girl. Not his girl.   
Standing, he began to slowly undress, hanging the tuxedo with care. No, Angie couldn't have his daughter, but she could go and have a baby with an accountant. The guy punched numbers all day instead of goons. She had security and safety with her new husband. There was no more worrying if she would be left a widow raising her daughter by herself because her stupid husband went to work and had his head blown off by some two bit drug dealer. The worst she could expect was her husband coming home with hand cramps or paper cuts.   
Laying back on the bed, he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't really blame Angie for feeling the way she did. His voice was a whisper. "God, we were so young." Late night stake outs, cold dinners and angry hurt feelings filled their days and nights. After the divorce, he felt empty and drained. He felt like an old man and with each passing year, he convinced himself that this was how life was going to be for him. Then Irene came back and gave him hope for something more than working his life away. And just as quickly, she was taken from him, leaving a black empty feeling in his chest.   
A tear trickled down the side of his face and Ray closed his eyes. Irene was dead and buried in St. Michael's cemetery. A big fancy headstone the only reminder that she ever existed. Wiping a hand across his cheek, he stared back up at the ceiling, thinking of how different things were now. How Thatcher made life interesting. The way her hair shined in the sun. The teasing glint in her eyes. The cutting sound of her voice as she ripped Fraser a new ass. He found himself giggling and quickly smothered it.   
"What in the hell am I gonna do? I can't love her. She doesn't feel that way about me. Does she?" Concentrating, Ray tried to think. The way Thatcher would look at him. Her comments on his looks, his clothing. The nice things that she would say to him. Then he thought of the way she treated Fraser. How she cut him no slack. Here was a guy that she was supposed to have the hots for, yet she never treated him the way a lover would act toward another. When she talked to him or looked at him, she acted so different than she would when she was with Fraser.   
A satisfied smile slowly made it's way across his face. Just like him, it would take a kick in the ass for Thatcher to realize it. She cared about him. Hell, she loved him and she didn't even know it. The only problem was making her realize it. As he lay in bed, Ray tried to think of a way to make Thatcher admit that she loved him. Only then would he let her know how he felt.

Standing in the shower, Francesca felt another wave of nausea hit her stomach. She wrapped her arms around Fraser, resting her head on his shoulder. How was she supposed to act romantic and sexy when she felt like shit? The idea of having sex, let alone oral sex...the idea gagged her. At that thought she giggled. *Yeah, it'll gag me all right.* She felt Fraser running his hands over her back, he made no move to urge her down or to do anything for that matter. As the wave of sickness subsided, she lifted her head to look up at him.   
Bringing a hand up, he ran it along her cheek and smiled. "You still aren't feeling well are you?" Feeling guilty, she nodded her head yes. "I didn't mean to tease you, I did want to." Placing a soft kiss on her lips, Fraser smiled again. "I know how you feel at this moment. I understand. It's not like we don't have the rest of our live to do something like this again." "Yeah, but I kinda promised you." "Then consider your promise extended to a future date. I'm sure I can wait." "You know, you're too good to me."   
Instead of the kinky shower scene that she had conjured up in her brain, Francesca found herself being lovingly bathed instead. It brought back feelings of childhood comfort. Of being pampered and taken care of. Stepping out of the shower, she was dried off and a large fluffy towel was wrapped around her. She never made a sound as he picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom. Laying Francesca gently down on the bed, Fraser snuggled up to her, spooning his body protectively around her small form. Sighing contentedly, Francesca closed her eyes, feeling warm, safe and loved.

Ray rolled over in his bed, tightly shutting his eyes to the morning sun streaming through the window. He hated mornings. Mornings meant getting up and going to work. Reports, files, hauling in the scum of the day. His eyes snapped open and a large grin spread over his face. *Ahhhhh yes...vacation!* He was officially off duty for the next two weeks. No files, no phones, no getting his ass out of bed at the crack of dawn.   
Snuggling back under the covers, he replayed the previous nights events over in his head. Frannie was married to Benny. He found himself shaking his head in disbelief. The Mountie that strolled into his life a few years ago was now his brother-in-law. *Jesus, how in the hell did this happen?* He knew 'how' it happened, but he still couldn't accept it as being real. Fraser was now officially family and before he knew it, Ray knew that Francesca would be making an announcement that they were going to have a kid. He shivered involuntarily at the thought of his sister and best friend making said baby.   
Shifting his thoughts from them, he stared up at the ceiling. Meg. He loved Meg Thatcher. That revelation came to him late last night as his mother mentally poked and prodded him. Thatcher said that maybe he could stop by and visit her before she came over for the big dinner that his mother had planned. That meant he would have a chance to really pay attention to how she acted around him. To see if she felt anything more than lust for him. A chill ran through him. What if his feelings were one sided? What if the Dragon Lady reared her ugly head again only to rip his heart out. No, he'd play it safe. He wouldn't romance her or profess his love openly like some fool. He'd play it cool. Feel things out with her before letting her know just how he felt.   
Flinging the covers back, Ray padded his way over to the closet. Peeling off his pajamas, he threw on a silk bathrobe, grabbing a towel and washcloth from the small pile in the closet. Making his way down the hall, he said a small prayer, thanking God for letting him wake up before everyone else. Today was his day to hog up the hot water,. Today he would take a long shower, letting the water relax his tense muscles. No more Frannie leaving him nothing but cold icy water to start the day out. A smile lit up his face. For the first time since he knew she would be leaving the house, Ray felt thrilled that Francesca was gone. *No more cold showers!*   
Turning the hot water on, he sighed as actual hot water came out of the spigot. After adjusting the temperature, he hung his robe up and stepped in, pulling the curtain closed. The warm water ran over his skin, relaxing him. Soaping up the washcloth, he began to scrub himself clean, feeling happier than he had in months, Ray began to sing as he showered. Without realizing it, he got louder as he sang. It wasn't until someone began pounding on the bathroom door that he realized just how loud he had gotten.   
Maria flung the door open and yelled in the room. "Ray! What is the matter with you! People are trying to sleep!" Peeking a soapy head out of the shower, he smiled brightly at her. "Morning Maria." She couldn't help grinning back at him. "My aren't we happy today." "Yes I am." Pulling the curtain shut, he continued to shower. "What's the reason for the happy mood?" Between scrubs, he answered her. "I have...hot water."   
He heard Maria giggle. "You mean all it took was you getting hot water and you're happy?" "You got it." Ducking his head under the shower head, he scrubbed his nearly bald scalp. Letting his fingers run slowly over the closely cropped remaining hair, he frowned, wishing for the days when he had a head full of dark brown hair. He was jerked out of his thoughts by ice cold water cascading over his back.   
"Jesus Christ!" Maria's hysterical laughter rang out on the other side of the curtain. Yanking the curtain partially back, he glared at her. "What is the matter with you?!" "Just trying to make it seem like Frannie's still here." "You..." Reaching out he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around him as he stepped out of the shower. Maria backed away from him. "Now Ray, you need to relax. Maybe a nice hot shower would make you feel better." Bolting out the door, she ran down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time. Ray was only a few steps behind her, leaving a trail of wet foot prints on the hard wood floor. 

 

Skidding around the corner, Ray slid into the kitchen only to stop dead in his tracks. Maria was on the other side of the table, grinning at him. What stopped him were the five other sets of eyes that looked back at him. Tony, Ma and the three kids were all calmly eating breakfast. *Shit.* Ma looked him in the eye and then looked down at his feet where a small puddle of water was forming.   
"Raymondo...why are you dripping on my clean floor?" With a triumphant smile, Maria pulled a chair out and sat down at the table. Ray pointed at Maria. "She started it!" The moment he spoke the words, he knew how stupid he looked and sounded. Here he was a grown man standing practically naked in the kitchen, dripping water on the floor. He felt like an idiot and knew he looked like one as well. Leave it to Maria to always have the upper hand. She always managed to outwit him. Mrs. Vecchio's eyebrows rose slightly.   
"How could Maria force you to drip water on my clean floor? You are old enough to know better. Please clean the mess up, I have company coming this evening." "But Ma! She threw cold water on me while I was in the shower!" "That is no excuse. You are a man and should act like one." She stood and made her way over to the stove. "Would you care for an omelet for breakfast Raymondo?" "Uh...yeah...I mean yes please." Turning her back on him, Mrs. Vecchio smiled as she prepared his omelet. Her children no matter how old, would always be her babies and sometimes their actions served as a pleasant reminder of it.   
Maria picked up a piece of toast and dolloped jelly on it, still smiling over at Ray. He waved a disgusted hand at her and left the kitchen, making his way back to the bathroom. He jumped back in the shower and quickly finished washing off the remaining soap. Once dressed, he wiped down all his footprints and drippings. Reentering the kitchen, his omelet sat on the table under a lid. Lifting the cover, he smiled. Besides the omelet, his mother had given him bacon, sausage, toast and a few pancakes. He knew she wasn't mad at him.   
Sitting at the now deserted table, he slowly ate his morning meal. It was deafening quiet in the room. Mrs. Vecchio had already done the dishes and left to go shopping taking Maria with her. He could hear the kids playing in the back yard and by the sound of it, Tony was in the den watching television. It was too quiet. Normally Francesca would have come straggling down to sit across from him and eat her breakfast. They would argue and tease one another throughout their meal and then they would shove and push each other as they made their way out the door to their cars. He hated to admit it, but he missed Francesca more than he ever thought he would.   
Popping the last piece of bacon in his mouth, Ray took his plate and silverware to the sink, rinsed them off and left them on the counter. There wasn't anything for him to do. Looking at his watch, he picked the phone up and then placed it back in it's cradle. Was nine in the morning too early to call Thatcher? He didn't even know if she was an early riser or a bed slug. Deciding on the better part of valor, he would put off calling her until after ten. Ten was a decent time to call someone. At least that's what Ma always told him.   
Walking into the den, he flopped down in his recliner. Tony was stretched out on what use to be jokingly referred to as Fraser and Francesca's sofa. "Hey Ray...you think Frannie and Fraser are up yet?" "I don't know." "You think they did it all night? Maria said Fraser is a regular horndog." Sitting up in his recliner, Ray made a disgusted face at him. "Horndog? What in the hell kinda word is that?! Horndog my ass. She needs to stop stickin her nose in their business." Tony stared at Ray and then burst out laughing.   
"Look whose callin the kettle black! Your nose is so far up Fraser ass, that if the guy farted you'd be blown across the room!" "Now you wait just a minute!" "No...no way! You've been all over them like a fly on shit Ray an' you're gonna call Maria nosy? You have a lot of balls, I'll give ya that." "Look, just because I was makin sure Frannie wasn't gettin into somethin she would regret, it doesn't make me nosy." "Yeah right. An' Fraser bein from Canada doesn't make him Canadian." "What?" 'You know what I mean."   
Tony lowered his voice slightly and looked at the entrance to the den, making sure no one was there. "So...do you think he and Frannie did it all night or what? Maria said they did it five times in a row once." "God, you two make me sick." "Hey, if it were me that could do it five times, I'd be braggin about it." Tony grinned lewdly. "Maria said Frannie wasn't kiddin when she said Fraser has big feet, ya know what I mean?"   
Jumping out of the recliner, Ray opened his mouth to yell at Tony and then closed it. Stomping his way out of the room, he grabbed his coat and pulled it on. Walking out of the house, he fished his keys out of his pocket and got in the Riv. A morning ride would do him good. Cruising in the Riv with the windows down and the heater on high was what he needed to clear his head. *That guy needs to get a life!* Without even thinking of where he was going, Ray pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. 

 

Driving down the street, Ray tried to decide what to do. He knew he didn't want to go to Thatcher's apartment just yet. Until he knew her habits a little better, he decided that once he knew if she was an early riser, then he would make morning calls. He grinned as he saw Fraser's house come into view. There was one person he could count on to be awake. Frannie would still be in bed, leaving Fraser free to just hang out for a few hours. Pulling up to the house, he parked the Riv and walked up to the house, whistling happily at the prospect of just relaxing for a few hours without being hassled. 

Francesca woke up again, this time not feeling her stomach churning. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Fraser lay on his side, smiling back at her. "Good morning again Francesca. Are you feeling better?" Sliding a hand down his chest, she let her fingers brush lightly over his crotch. "Yeah, I feel alot...better." She began to softly stroke his penis, noticing the smile had never left his face. "You wanna pick up where we kinda left off this mornin?" His smile widened and as he leaned toward her, she slid underneath the comforter and threw it back. Ducking her head down, she kissed his steadily growing erection.   
Taking him into her mouth, she slowly began to suck and lick at him, feeling him grow harder as she continued. It didn't take very long before she felt Fraser's hands pushing at her head to move away. "Francesca...don't..." Cupping his balls, she continued sucking at him, letting her tongue rolling under his head, feeling him tense up. Just as he was about to cum, she pulled away, looking up at him. "You want me to finish?" As he was to answer her the doorbell rang. She could see the look of panic on his face.   
With an irritated scowl, she grabbed his erection tightly in her hand and began to pull at him. "Whoever it is can wait until we're done." "Francesca..." Moving up, she captured his mouth in a kiss, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, as she continued stroking him. She felt his arms wrap tightly around her, rolling her beneath him. Moving her hand away, he positioned himself between her legs. "Benton, we don't have time for this." Pushing into her warmth, he groaned as he began thrusting into her. "You said...they could wait. Another minute...won't matter."   
The doorbell rang again. She was caught between a giggle at the absurdity of someone calling on them so early in the morning and a moan from the pleasure she was feeling. Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, she scored her nails down his back, clutching his ass, urging him to her to thrust faster into her. The doorbell rang again as Fraser groaned as he came within her. This time she laughed out loud. He pulled slightly back to look at her, his expression surprised, then a wicked grin spread over his face. She froze and pushed against his shoulders. "No! Don't you dar..."   
Pulling back, he thrust heavily into her, causing her to cry out. He smiled back at her as she came, thrusting into her until she screamed for him to stop. Pulling out, he gave Francesca a kiss before he rolled off the bed. Grabbing a pair of boxers, he pulled them on. Going to the closet, he pulled out a robe and wrapped it around him. Francesca lay on the bed, breathing heavily. "You are...so bad, Benton. You are not gonna answer the door now after what you just did are you?" He grinned devilishly as he walked toward the doorway out of the bedroom.   
"I didn't do anything Francesca, you were the one screaming." "You can't answer the door! They'll know what we were doin!" Jumping out of the bed she rushed to the window and looked down into the yard. "It's Ray. What in the hell is he doin here?" She could hear Fraser's light tread as he skipped down the stairs. "Benton! Don't you answer that door!" She swore she could hear Fraser's laughter coming from downstairs. Grabbing a robe, she yanked it on and ran down the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom, Fraser opened the door and yelled. "Good morning Ray, would you care to come in?!"

Ray had walked away from the house and was almost to the Riv when he heard Fraser's voice call to him from across the lawn. He cringed. When he had decided to stop and visit Fraser, he didn't even think about his sister and him being newlyweds. The thought of them having sex this early in the morning never crossed his mind, until he heard Francesca's muffled cries of ecstasy coming from the upstairs window.   
A flush of embarrassment had washed over him and he had turned and crept his way silently down the walkway, hoping to push the Riv a block away before starting it. When he heard the front door open and Fraser call out to him, he knew he was a goner. His thoughts were confirmed when he slowly turned around to see Fraser looking at him with a devilish twinkle in his eye. With a heavy sigh, he began the slow tortuous walk back toward the house. So much for him having a nice quiet chat. He knew he had just walked into another episode of let's torment Ray. 

 

The closer he came to the door, the more tense he became. *This is not my day. Maybe I should just go home and go back to bed.* He looked at Fraser, preparing himself for some smart assed remark. God was finally going to get him back for all the times he teased Fraser. The Mountie was the closest person he knew that could be declared for sainthood and now the man upstairs was going to let the shy Mountie have his moment of retribution.   
"Mornin Benny. Frannie." "Good morning Ray." "Hi ya bro." Fraser smiled brightly as Ray walked into the house. Ray heard the door click shut. It reminded him too much of a cell door being locked and he was the prisoner. "Would you care for some breakfast Ray? Francesca and I were getting ready to eat." Francesca mumbled under her breath. "Yeah, I had sausage already."   
Ray looked from Francesca to Fraser. His sister was grinning and Fraser's cheeks had turned a slight pink. He knew she had said something, but he didn't hear it. Apparently Fraser did. "No thanks, I already ate." "Would you care for a cup of coffee then?" "Sure...coffee would be fine." The robe clad pair walked ahead of him into the kitchen and went about preparing their morning meal. Ray watched them intently. It was strange seeing them act like an old couple, they were so settled with one another. As he sat at the table, he tapped his fingers nervously. They hadn't teased him yet. When was the hell going to start?   
Fraser and Francesca set plates of pancakes down, coffee and juice. A cup of coffee was set in front of Ray. Sitting down at the table, Francesca smiled over her juice glass at Fraser, while she rubbed a foot up his calf. Fraser gave her a small smile in return as he rubbed his foot along her other foot. "What are your plans for the day?" "Huh, what did you say Benny?" "Your plans. What are you going to do today?" "Besides the dinner tonight, I guess I'll go over and visit Meg for a while." Francesca snickered and then her eyes widened. Leaning over, she whispered in Fraser's ear, all the while peeking at Ray. Fraser quickly nodded his head yes and she jumped up from the table.   
"What are you doin Frannie?" "Nothin, just makin a call." "Ray are you sure you don't want anything to eat? I can make you some french toast." Ray looked at Fraser and then back at Francesca as she dialed the phone. "No thanks, I'm full. Ma made me a ton of stuff this mornin." Francesca's voice filtered it's way over to him.   
"Hi Meg, this is Frannie, I didn't wake you did I? No? You must get up early like Benton. Is that a Canadian thing or what? Uh huh. Yeah, well I was wonderin...Ray's over here and we were all thinkin of goin to the park to go ice skatin again. You wanna come with us?" Ray yelled and jumped up from his seat. "No!" Francesca turned her back to him, clutching the phone protectively. "You'd love too? Great! As soon as you get showered, come on over to our place...yeah...yeah...bring a change of clothes for tonight. Okay...bye."   
Ray gave her an exasperated look. "Why in the hell did ya hafta go and do that?!" Francesca hung the phone up and calmly sat back down at the table. She smiled at Fraser as she ate her pancakes. Fraser gave Ray a questioning look. "Ray is something wrong?" Slowly sitting back down, Ray sighed in defeat. "No, there's nothin wrong." *There goes my plans for havin some private time with Meg.* Looking from one face to another, Ray noticed the little smiles that they both wore. *Son of a bitch!* "You did that on purpose didn't you Frannie?" She gave him an innocent look.   
"Do what Ray? All we did is ask Meg to go skatin with us. You did say you wanted to spend some time with her didn't you? At least that's what I remember from last night. If you want me to, I'll call her back and tell her, you don't want to see her today." "I hate you." "Now Ray, why would you say something like that to Francesca? We're only being helpful." Fraser gave him an innocent look. "Ya know, you can stop with the innocent Mountie crap, it ain't gonna work on me any more. I know you, you're a pig like everyone else."   
Fraser smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Francesca grinned. "He's a married pig, Ray. He's allowed to do whatever he wants now. It's allllll legal." "You are gross, ya know that don't you?" "No, I'm not gross, I'm satisfied, which is more than I can say for you." "You two think you're funny. Well let me tell you, I don't find any of this amusin. It's sick if you ask me." "What's sick Ray?" "Yeah, all we did is ask her to go skatin. It's not like you had plans to go and do somethin to her...I mean 'with' her." Francesca gave Ray a satisfied smile and popped the last bit of pancake from her plate into her mouth. Fraser tucked his head down, hiding another smile.   
"You know, I should call her back and tell her what you two are up to." Francesca stood and took the dishes to the sink and began washing them. Fraser followed her and picked up a towel to dry them. She stepped up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss before looking back at Ray. "Oh yeah, call her up and say you don't want to go to the park and skate because you'd rather bang her than spend time 'with' her." Fraser's tone was a warning one. "Francesca..." "Oh okay, bang wasn't the right word...you'd rather 'engage in sex' with her." Fraser rolled his eyes slightly as he dried off a dish.   
"It has nothin to do with that Frannie. Have you ever thought that maybe we'd like to have some time alone? Has that ever crossed your little mind?" "Sure it has, but you never wanted Benton and I to be alone, so why should I let you and Meg have time together?" "I never tried to stop you..." "Oh please! Every chance you got, you made sure you were there or that Benton wasn't near me!" "When was that?! I haven't interfered with you two datin." Wiping the counter down, she stalked back to the table and wiped it down, her movements angry.   
"Really? Then what about you tellin Benton to stay away from me? What about you sayin you didn't think we'd be good for one another? That's interfering Ray. Thank God neither one of us listened to you and your cow dung." "You're just bein stupid now. That was years ago." Fraser calmly folded the towel in his hands and placed it in the dish rack. "It wasn't years ago Ray, it was approximately seven months, three weeks..." "All right already! So I didn't want you to be with Frannie! I changed my mind didn't I? Give me a break!" Francesca raised an eyebrow at him, her voice sarcastic. "Which arm?"   
Standing, Ray ran a hand over his head. "Look...I was wrong for gettin in the way before and I stopped doin it. Can't you at least let up a little so I can spend some time with Meg?" Fraser walked up behind Francesca and wrapped his arms around her. "What do you think Francesca? Should we help Ray in his endeavors to woo Meg or should we run interference?" Hugging his arms to her, she smiled slightly. "I guess we can help him." Ray made a face at the pair.   
"Woo? I'm not wooin Meg. We're datin." To Ray's surprise, Fraser chuckled slightly. "Trust me on this Ray. You are wooing Meg as surely as I courted Francesca, you just don't want to admit it to yourself or anyone else for that matter." "I am not!" Kissing the top of Francesca's head, he grinned. "Francesca...how long do you think Ray will wait before he decides to ask Meg to marry him?" Ray's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. "What?!" Francesca smile sweetly. "I guess I'd say he'd wait until Christmas like you did." Fraser frowned. "Christmas is too far away. I think he'll ask her by September at the latest."   
"You are both sick! This isn't somethin you joke about!" "I'm not joking with you Ray, I'm serious. I think you and Meg make a perfect match." Fraser's face and voice had lost all their teasing qualities. He was dead serious. Ray felt like a bee trapped in a bottle with two bratty kids looking in on him. "Yeah...well...you're wrong. I don't feel that way about her." The doorbell rang and Francesca moved away from Fraser and gave Ray a pointed look. "I'll go answer it. It must be Meg, the woman you don't care about." 

 

The day was spent skating. Up and down the ice, around in circles. Thatcher was an illusive figure gliding across the ice. Every time Ray would reach out for her, she would push off on one foot and be three strides away from him in a heartbeat. The teasing smile on her face only served to torment him. He wanted to touch her. Feel her soft skin beneath his fingers, taste her lips with his own.   
When ever he looked over at Fraser and Francesca, he would growl and mutter under his breath. Several times he caught them locked in a passionate embrace, not caring if anyone saw them or not. It sickened him. It also made him realize that he wanted what they had more than ever. He wanted to be happy. To find that special someone to share his life with. The only problem was, he couldn't skate worth a damn and he would never be able to catch Thatcher and show her just what she meant to him.

As the sun went down casting beams of gold across the snow and ice, Ray sat on a bench, removing his skates from tired, sore feet. Rubbing them, he cursed. Fraser sat down beside him. "What was that Ray?" "Nothin Benny." He continued rubbing at the heal of his right foot. The drive to Florida was bad, but add to the list a pair of sore feet...it was not going to be a pleasant trip. "If you would buy a pair of skates that fit your feet properly, then they wouldn't hurt. Rentals aren't properly molded to your foots own shape. When we get back from Florida, we should go out and buy you a pair." Ray gave him a tired look.   
"Look Benny, I don't want a pair of skates. I don't need a pair of skates. I'm not gonna go skatin all that much anyway." Fraser leaned over to Ray and whispered. "Francesca said that Meg is ecstatic that you like to skate. She had hoped that you two could come here more often on your own. She even expressed an interest in having you take lessons with a qualified instructor." "Frannie's lyin." "Why would Francesca lie? It's obvious that Meg has enjoyed herself both times we've come here." Picking his skates up, Fraser slung them over his shoulder. "If you want to win Meg's hand, you should consider learning to skate. Doing things as a couple is good way to bond." "Knock it off!"   
Smiling, Fraser walked away from Ray, going over to Francesca he hugged her. Their laughter reached Ray's ears. Looking past them, he could see Thatcher striding across the sitting area, her mitten covered hands clutching two hot chocolates. There was no mistaking the look of pure joy that she wore on her face. The ice and the snow may not have meant the same thing to her as it did to Fraser, but in their own way, they were a part of her as well. If it made her happy to go skating, then maybe he would consider buying his own skates and take some lessons. *The things I do for love.* 

 

Driving back to Fraser's house, Ray plotted to get Thatcher alone somewhere for a few hours before dinner. Images of them cuddled up on a sofa, relaxing before they went back to the Vecchio house flitted through his brain. Lately nothing was going his way. First the wedding and now the traditional last dinner before the family vacation was interfering with his time to spend with Thatcher.   
Every year it was the same thing. They would make plans to go down to Florida for a two week vacation. Every year Ma would insist on having a large old fashioned Italian dinner the night before they were to leave. She reasoned that this would be their last chance to eat a 'proper meal' as a family before they left home. Another part of the vacation also meant that Mrs. Vecchio did not cook for the entire two weeks in Florida. This was a vacation. If she had to cook or clean, then why bother going away from home to do the same things she did day to day?   
Pulling up to the small house Ray smiled at Fraser as he got out of the Riv. "Meg and I will be by to pick you and Frannie up later." Fraser paused as he stepped halfway out of the car and then he uncharacteristically flopped back into his seat. "Aren't you and Meg coming in? Francesca and I would like to show Meg what we've done to the house." Ray flinched at Fraser's words and cringed as Thatcher spoke up from the back seat. "I'd love to stay and take a look at your house. I haven't been through it yet." Francesca looked at the rearview mirror and smiled at Ray. "Good, then it's settled. You two can come in, we can get changed and maybe have coffee or somethin."   
Turning to Thatcher, Francesca grew animated, ignoring the glare that Ray sent back at her. "You can get showered and changed. This way I can show you everything that Benton did to the upstairs rooms. You won't believe what he did to the bedroom!" Thatcher's eyebrow rose slightly and she noticed that Fraser quickly jumped from the car. Ray spoke up, cutting off any further comments from Francesca. "That's nice Frannie. She'll see it when we go in. Let's go." Opening the door, he got out and motioned for Thatcher to get out as well. Leaning toward her, he whispered in her ear.   
"Sorry about that." She brushed a quick kiss across his cheek. "That's okay. I'm getting use to the way your sister talks." "God help you." Smiling, she took Ray's hand as they followed Fraser and Francesca into their home. She felt a stab of envy run through her as she watched the way they held onto each other, the way they shared secret smiles. Setting her skates by the door, she looked around the cozy living room, her eyes widening in shock.   
Thatcher had thought that any house occupied by Fraser would be spartan and dull, just like the dreary apartment that she had visited him in before. What she saw was so unlike Fraser, that she found it hard to believe that this was the same man that she knew before. The more she looked around the room, the more she realized just how little she did know about him. Here was a man that she had served with for over two years and she had no idea what he liked or disliked.   
After taking every ones coats and hanging them up, Francesca went over to the entertainment center, the excitement obvious on her features. "Look what Benton made for me." Thatcher's mouth dropped open. Walking over to the large cabinet that filled up the wall, she ran her fingers over the wood, noting the workmanship and detail that went into it. Turning to Fraser, she eyed him. "You made this?"   
Fraser could feel himself getting embarrassed by the attention, but with a feeling of relief, he didn't feel the heat of a blush stain his cheeks. For the first time in ages a feeling of pride was overruling his embarrassment. "Yes, I did." Francesca opened the cabinet. "Yeah, he made this and he bought me a television and the rest of the stuff so I wouldn't miss my programs." Thatcher smiled slightly as she perused the CDs. There were several artists with a Canadian flavor.  
Turning from the entertainment center, Francesca looped her arm through Thatcher's and lead her around the room and then into the kitchen, pointing out everything that had been refinished or was newly added. Thatcher could hear the pride in her voice as she described all that had been done. "Meg, you should have seen this place before Benton started workin on it. It was a dump! I didn't think he could fix the place up, but he did."   
"I wasn't alone in working on the house. Ray and Francesca helped me." Ray snorted. "We helped him clean the place the first few days. Don't let Mister Modest here fool ya. He did all of this by himself." "But Ray..." "Are you gonna start lyin? Has Frannie ruined you so much, that now you're gonna lie?" Fraser closed his mouth and smiled slightly. "Uh huh. You're finally gonna learn to accept a compliment Benny. You did this and you did it well. Let Frannie and everyone else gush over it for a while."   
By the time they went through the entire home, both Ray and Thatcher were even more impressed by the workmanship that Fraser put into each room. Thatcher couldn't help casting a glance at Ray when they entered the master bedroom. Even with the sheets tucked tightly in place, the romance of the place screamed itself out to them.   
Thatcher gave Fraser a small smile, noting that he still had the grace to blush. The thought of what he would have been like in bed ran through her mind for what might have been the thousandth time, but she pushed it aside. Fraser and her were never meant to be. As much as she had been attracted to him, too many things would have made a relationship impossible for them.   
Francesca noticed the look that Thatcher gave first her brother and then the sad pensive look that had followed Thatcher's smile as she had looked at Fraser. For the first time since she had know that Thatcher had wanted Fraser, she actually felt a stab of pity for the woman. She would never know what it would have been like to be with Fraser. To feel the love from him the way she did. To 'be' loved by him. Looking back at Ray, she had to grin. What Thatcher missed out on with Fraser, she was going to make sure she found it with her brother. 

 

Ray sat tapping his fingers on the table, his mind raced in overdrive, trying to think of a way to go home with Thatcher without his mother finding out. He had to be with her. He would be going to Florida in the morning and then for the next two weeks all he would have were a few measly minutes on the phone with her. It was bad enough he couldn't touch her, but now he was going to be deprived of even seeing her. He jumped slightly as he felt a hand run up his thigh. Looking to his left, he found Thatcher smiling slightly at him. Her voice was a low whisper.   
"Ray, you need to calm down." He tried to whisper back to her without leaning toward her. "I can't. This is driving me nuts." Ray could feel someone staring at him. Looking across the table, he locked eyes with Fraser. *Crap.* Fraser tilted his head to the side and a smile played around his lips. Ray could tell he was trying very hard to not laugh. *Come on Benny. Don't laugh. Please.* Fraser stood up.   
"Please excuse me." He walked out of the dining room. Francesca looked at Ray and then back at the now empty doorway. With a wicked smile, she wadded up her napkin and pushed her chair back. "Excuse me everyone, I'm gonna go and see if Benton needs me to help him." Looking back at Ray, she suppressed a smile, then she walked quickly out of the room. Everyone else continued eating, giving no indication to anything being amiss.

Francesca ran into the kitchen and slid across the linoleum, grinning up at Fraser. "Okay, what's goin on?!" He leaned back against the sink, wiping his hands across his eyes. "Ray...he..." His voice turned into a tight whine as he tried to not laugh out loud. Francesca reached out and shook him by the shoulders. "Tell me! What about Ray? What'd he do?!" She practically danced in place.   
Taking a deep breath, Fraser smiled. "He is very...fidgety. Inspector...Meg, she was...well...her hands are under the table 'all' the time." "Get out! You think she's...you know...playing stick shift at the table?" Fraser blinked once or twice and then started laughing loudly. Slapping a hand over his mouth, he bent over slightly. When he gained control of himself, he smiled at her.   
"You are a bad influence on me, Francesca." "So, you need to loosen up and I'm here to make sure you do." He grabbed her, hugging her tightly to his chest, feeling a surge of happiness run though him. Yes he needed her. He needed her light, her laughter and her love. Life without Francesca was something he didn't want to ever think about. Feeling her arms wrap around him, he smiled again.   
"Do you think you could help me in an endeavor to...side step your mother?" She pushed away from him, her face shocked, but she wore a grin. "Benton Fraser, you little devil you. You want to trick Ma?" "Not exactly trick her, it would be more of a diversion." "You want me to lie for you?" "No!" "What do you want me to do then?" "I would like to invite Ray to stay the evening at our home."   
Francesca gave him a look of dismay. She had already planned out a night of romance, with candles, wine and a really sexy outfit. The idea of Ray being in the room down the hall would put a damper on the entire evening. "No." Fraser looked surprised. "No? May I ask why not?" "We just got married yesterday and you want Ray to stay over? Come on! I have all sorts of plans for us tonight." His eyebrows rose a fraction. "Plans?" She leered back at him, grabbing his crotch. "Yeah...plans."   
Clearing his throat, he looked down at her hand. "Um...well...it would be a slight deception on our part. Ray wouldn't be spending the entire evening with us. I'm sure we would have ample time to...do what you have planned." She gave him a curious look.   
"Where would he...you are bad. I guess I am a bad influence on you after all. You want me to help you lie to Ma so that Ray can go and spend the night with Meg and bang her brains out." "Francesca...it wouldn't be exactly lying. It would be...helping a romance to blossom." "Uh huh. It's called lying to Ma so Ray can get laid. I'll help you. If he gets some before we leave tomorrow, then the ride to Florida will be a nice one. I don't want to deal with him being cranky because he couldn't get any."   
With a sigh, she moved her hand off of Fraser's crotch. "I guess we should go back huh?" Nodding his head yes, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before he walked over to the refrigerator. Taking a slab of meatloaf out, he cut a thick slice from it, placing it on a plate, putting the remaining meatloaf away. Holding the plate up, he motioned Francesca out of the kitchen. "Just follow my lead and everything should work as planned." 

 

Ray watched Fraser and Francesca walk back into the dining room. He could tell that they were up to something and knowing them, it wouldn't bode well for him. They sat down at the table, their heads close together in silent conversation, then Fraser looked directly over at Ray, a small smile graced his lips. Francesca spoke up, while she held out the plate of meatloaf in her hand.   
"Ray would you care for some meatloaf?" "Uh...no thanks." Francesca smiled. "How about you Meg? Do you want to eat some meat?" The tone of Francesca's voice left nothing to the imagination. Thatcher who was chewing some food, began to choke. Ray hurriedly patted her on the back, handing her a glass of water, casting a worried glance at his mother and then a glare at Francesca.   
She smiled brightly and looked around the table. "Anyone else want some meatloaf? Ya know this is the last time we get to eat Ma's cooking for two weeks." She looked pointedly at Thatcher. "There's nothin better than spicy Italian meat to make a person feel good." Tony looked down the table extending a hand. "Sure Frannie, I'll have some." She passed the plate down and then went back to eating her dinner.   
A few minutes passed before Fraser cleared his throat. Ray could tell that this would be the beginning of his torment. Francesca had started it and now Fraser was about to finish it. "Ray, could you come over to our house this evening?" Ray stared back at him, caught completely off guard. There was no intelligent veiled remark coming from across the table.   
"Come over to your place?" "Yes Ray. I have a few things that I would like to complete before we leave tomorrow and I would appreciate your assistance. I hope I'm not imposing on you in any way. I'll understand if you decide to not stay over tonight." "Stay over?" "Well yes, it would take some time and it would be easier for you to stay the night with us rather than come home at a late hour."   
"Um...I don't know Benny. I mean, I hafta drive tomorrow." Francesca rolled her eyes. "Benton and I can drive too ya know. Just stay and help him, then one of us can take the first shift and then you can drive later." Ray stared back at the expectant faces of Fraser and Francesca. "I don't know Benny, can't that stuff wait until we come back?" Fraser stared at Thatcher and sighed. Unlike Ray, she immediately caught on to what the pair across the table were doing.   
Ray felt a sharp nudge in his ribs and he turned to glare at Thatcher. "Ray, I don't believe what Ben is asking of you is too much. They have offered to drive a portion of the trip in exchange for your services this evening. You are his brother-in-law after all. Isn't there some family rule where you have to help them?" She looked directly into Ray's eyes, willing him to say yes.   
"Aw come on Meg, you have no idea what his idea of a little project is! He'll have me up half the night!" Thatcher turned slightly in her seat, so that only Ray could see her face, her voice was low, her grin suggestive. "That's the idea Ray." He looked blankly at her and then it finally dawned on him as to what was going on. His head snapped to look back at Fraser and Francesca who smiled back at him.   
"Uh...yeah, I guess I can help them." He hesitated briefly before speaking again. "Ma? You don't need anything done before tomorrow do you?" He silently prayed that she would say no. Mrs. Vecchio look up from her plate, her expression thoughtful. "No...I have no work to be done. Tony and Maria can help me if I find something. You may go help Benton." Ray smiled. "Thank you, Ma." She gave Ray a curious look before turning back to her meal.   
He felt like jumping up on the table and screaming at the top of his lungs. Fraser and Francesca had somehow finagled a way for him to have time alone with Thatcher. He was actually going to get to spend the night with her. He carefully schooled his features, trying to keep the elation from his voice.   
"I guess this means I'll be sleeping over." "I'll try to make the repairs quickly. I do realize it's a long trip, I wouldn't want to exhaust you." Ray smiled back at Fraser. "There ain't no chance of that happen with me, Benny." Ray felt another sharp nudge in his ribs and looked back at Thatcher's disapproving stare. He frowned back at her and then smiled again, hoping she wasn't going to deny him what he wanted. The feel of her hand resting on his thigh told him, he had nothing to worry about.

Ray stood by the door clutching his car keys tightly in his hand. Fraser and Francesca were taking too long in saying good night to his mother. He resisted the urge to yell at them to hurry up, knowing it would be the kiss of death to his night with Thatcher. That's all he would need. His mother giving him the once over with her Catholic guilt radar. She would know in a heartbeat that something was going on, so he kept his mouth shut, his breathing calm. All those years of undercover assignments came in handy when he least expected it.   
Thatcher said her thank yous as well, wishing them a safe trip. Ray watched as his mother pulled the embarrassed Canadian into one of her patented motherly hugs. By the time the small group had left the house and settled in the Riv, Ray was a wound up tighter than a stud in a breeding barn. The only thing on his mind was getting Thatcher back to her apartment. Images of him kissing her soft skin and lips, hands running down milky thighs. He shivered in anticipation.   
Fraser, who sat beside him, turned to the passenger side window, hoping to hide his amusement. *Was I ever that bad?* He could almost feel the sexual tension flowing from Ray. It was like having a thick fog of male musk in the car. He could feel the same tenseness from Thatcher in the back seat. It amazed him that the human race ever got anything done when they were so preoccupied with sex. 

Ray pulled up to Fraser and Francesca's home in record time. Francesca's voice was biting. "Ya know Ray, this street wasn't made for drag racin." "Shut up and get out of my car Frannie." "Ray!" Thatcher's voice was full of disapproval. He peeked in the rearview mirror. Even in the darkness, he could see the flash of anger in her eyes. "Sorry Frannie. Could you 'please' get out of my car." Thatcher stared at him. "Okay! I'm sorry Frannie."   
Fraser who had already gotten out of the Riv, held the seat forward so that Francesca and Thatcher could get out. Francesca slid out and stood next to Fraser, waiting for Thatcher to climb into the front seat. She hadn't moved from the backseat. *Oh boy, he's in trouble." Leaning down, she looked into the car. "'Night Ray, 'night Meg. See ya in two weeks." Fraser leaned down and handed Ray a key.   
"Here's the key for the front door. The spare room is made up if you care to use it." He looked back at Thatcher. "Good night Meg. I'll see you in two weeks. Remember, if you need me for anything, the number at the hotel is..." He never got to finish his sentence. Francesca grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away from the car. "Don't worry Benton, I'm sure the Consulate will do just fine without you." 

 

Ray watched as his sister drug Fraser up to the house. The door opened and the pair quickly disappeared. He moved his eyes back to look at Thatcher, who had remained seated in the backseat. Letting out a soft sigh, he gave her a hang dog look. "I said I was sorry." She leaned forward in the seat, her voice low.   
"I don't understand you. It wasn't necessary for you to talk to her like that. Why did you?" "I don't know! She my sister. She's a pain in the ass!" Thatcher smiled slightly. "I agree that she is...difficult at times, but that doesn't give you an excuse to be rude. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't address her in that manner while in my presence." "Okay, I'll try, but I'm not gonna make any promises. I've been yellin at her for over thirty years."   
Thatcher moved forward, snaking her hand around to the front seat, where she ran it over Ray's thigh, feeling him tense up at her touch. She rested her chin on the back of the seat, her low voice took on a sexy tone. "So Raymondo...what do you want to do for the rest of the evening? Do you want to go inside and visit with Fraser?" Ray yelled. "No!" She grinned. "What did I say about being rude?" "Uh...I mean, no. I don't want to visit with them." "Then what would you like to do?" She moved her hand forward, feeling Ray though the thin material of his pants, glad that he didn't prefer to wear jeans all the time like Fraser did.   
"I...Jesus...I mean...I'd like to..." He breathing choked off, as Thatcher grasped his growing erection, tugging him slowly. Pushing back against the seat, he covered her hand with his own. "So...what do you want to do...Rayyymondooo." Her voice and touch was driving him crazy. Without any warning, he moved her hand off of him and climbed over the front seat and into the back seat. Grabbing Thatcher, he pulled her to him, kissing her passionately, grinding his hips against hers.   
They grappled like wrestlers, hands running under shirts, fingers slid beneath material to touch skin. The entire time their tongues and lips waged a battle with one another. Ray couldn't believe that he was in the backseat of his car, groping the Dragon Lady like he was on a high school date. The calm, cool Inspector had transformed into a temptress, her hands grasping his ass. He groaned loudly as he felt her shove a hand into the front of his pants, her fingers tightened around his throbbing erection.   
"Jesus Christ, Meg...you don't waste no time do you?" His breath was coming out in shallow pants as she roughly twisted at his erection, her teeth scraped a path along his jugular. "Don't you like it?" "Hell yeah I like it!" His reaction drew a throaty chuckle from her. Wrapping a leg around him, Thatcher pulled Ray tightly against her.   
He didn't know if he could wait. For the past week he was so preoccupied with spending some time with her and now that he had it...he knew he couldn't wait. It was awkward maneuvering in the backseat of the Riv, but Ray said a silent prayer to God that he didn't have the money to buy a Porsche after all. There would have been no way in hell, he could have done what they were doing now.   
Shoving a hand between then, Ray tugged at Thatcher's jeans, trying to pull them down. Her hand released it's hold on his penis long enough to pull her jeans off. Her underwear were soon dangling off of one leg and Ray had managed to get his pants down around his ankles. Positioning himself between her legs, he eagerly moved forward, feeling her hands guiding him into her warmth.   
With a loud groan, Ray began to quickly thrust himself into Thatcher. There would be no pretense of gentle lovemaking. This was quick rough sex. The kind that animals did in the back alleys. The kind that you paid good money for and hoped no one caught you doing it. Each push into her moist heat tightened his balls. Before he could stop himself, Ray came. His body jerked and spasmed as he clutched a breast in his hand. The fingers of his other hand wound themselves tightly through long chestnut hair as he suckled her tongue.   
He could feel Thatcher's release matching his, a guttural moan erupted from her lips as she pulled him by the ass, so that he was slamming against her. Breaking away, he continued thrusting heavily against her, ignoring the tingling of his sensitive cockhead. "You like that huh? You like it rough Meg?" His voice was low as he stared down at her, seeing a look of pure ecstasy on her face. Lips drew back, revealing a snarled smile as she thrust up her pelvis to meet him.   
The Riv rocked beneath the pair as they continued moving in their lustful rhythm. He couldn't believe that the woman that he had always thought of as a cold frigid bitch was one of sexual passion. The idea that she wanted kinky rough sex...that she loved it, drove him out of his mind. And the idea that she wanted to do it with him...it shocked the hell out of him.   
Slowing down, he moved gently into her, then pulled out. They were both breathing like marathon runners, the windows of the car were steamed over, the sweat ran down their faces. Leaning down he kissed her. Then his eyes closed and he sighed as he looked at the watch on his wrist. Thatcher noticed his look and gave him a curious one in return.   
"What's wrong Ray?" Looking into her eyes, he frowned. "We've been here for twenty minutes." "And." "We're still parked in front of Benny and Frannie's place." She lay back on the seat, a look of pure horror on her face. "My thoughts exactly." They were caught with their pants down, literally. There was no way that Fraser and Francesca wouldn't rag them about this. They were dead meat. 

 

Thatcher slowly pulled her clothing back into place, casting an occasional glance at the door of Fraser and Francesca's home. She expected to see a small figure dart out, laughing and pointing at the Riv. With the steamed up windows, it was obvious what they had done. She caught Ray doing the exact same things that she was doing. She frowned as his face grew panicky and she jerked her head back to look at the door. No one was standing there. "Ray, what's wrong." His voice was a soft whisper.   
"Jesus Christ...I forgot." "Forgot what?" "Condom...we didn't use one." She stared back at Ray, a slow feeling of dread wash over her. "You don't...I mean, you're...you don't have anything do you?" Ray looked back at her and then made a disgusted face.  
"Of course I don't have anything! Do you think I'd do somethin like this if I had somethin?" His face went blank and then he spoke tentatively to her. "You don't have anything do you?" Her face darkened slightly and she sat up, angrily pulling her shirt back on. "No, I don't have anything. I get tested periodically thank you and when I...well...generally I'm careful." "What's generally?" She glared at him.   
"I am not in the habit of jumping in the back seat of a car and having sexual relations with just any one." Ray smiled slightly. "Yeah? What's so different with me that you'd do it then?" She paused as she brushed her hair with her fingers. Tucking her head down, she tried to hide a smile, her voice was soft. "Because I care for you." Ray leaned forward, straining to hear what Thatcher said. He wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. *Nah. I had to have heard her wrong. She cares for me?*   
"What'd you say?" She sat back up and looked him directly in the eye. She didn't see any sign of rejection in his body language. He looked at her, his expression hopeful. Taking a deep breath, she spoke slowly and distinctly, while her stomach tied itself in knots. Her gut feelings had never been wrong, but what if they were this time? It would be too humiliating to find out that he didn't feel the same way, but she had to say it. It would be better to know that this was nothing more than causal sex to him.   
"I said it's because I care for you." He looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. "You do? You 'care' for me?" "Yes." A bright smile made it's way to his lips, looking down at the floor he thanked God for his luck. Looking back at Thatcher, he continued smiling. "I kinda care about you too." Raising a questioning eyebrow, she cocked her head to the side. "Kinda?"   
Taking a deep breath, Ray decided it was now or never. She'd either reject him totally or maybe he'd find out that he wasn't such a loser after all. Staring into her eyes, he took another deep breath. "I more than kinda like you Meg. I really do care for you. A lot." They sat staring at one another with silly grins on their faces. "Really?" "Yeah, really." Thatcher leaned back against the seat. "And how long have you felt this way about me?" Ray leaned back next to her.   
"For a while. I guess it was after the wedding. I think. I don't know." He cast a sideways glance at her. "When did you know that you cared about me?" She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I don't know. I think it occurred at dinner this evening." "At dinner? What made you decided it then?" "I don't know. It just hit me." "Ah" Raising her head off of his shoulder, she gave Ray an irritated look.   
"Don't 'ah' me. Fraser does that and I find it most annoying." "Where'd ya think I learned it?" Reaching out, he pulled Thatcher back to him, so that they were comfortably wrapped around each other in a warm embrace. Nuzzling his face in her hair, he breathed deeply.   
"You smell good ya know." He felt a hand gently rub a circle on his chest. "I've been told that." "Yeah, I know. Benny said you smelled good." She stiffened up and he quickly back pedaled.   
"He didn't mean anything by it ya know. He was just teasin me. I didn't believe him until I smelled your hair." He felt her settle back against him, but the comfortable feeling had evaporated. He had ruined the mood. "Look I'm sorry if I brought that up. It's not like you and Benny ever did anything, so it really shouldn't bother you. You didn't love him or anything. You told me you didn't, so should this be really a big deal?"  
A sad look passed over Thatcher's face and she tucked her head down so that Ray didn't see it. She 'had' loved Fraser. She had loved him with a passion that she had never thought that she could possess, but like a fool, she had let the chance for true happiness slip through her fingers. All because of some stupid self-imposed set of rules. She wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. She wasn't a fool. "No it isn't a big deal."   
Ray could tell that something was still wrong, but he didn't want to know what it was. He had learned long ago that prying for answers sometimes lead to things he was better off not knowing. Hugging her tightly, he kissed the top of her head. He'd take what was given to him. He wasn't about to make the same mistakes he had made before with his ex-wife Angie. The past was the past and now was now. If she said she cared for him, he'd accept it and leave it at that. 

 

"Francesca...it's time to wake up." She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, her voice was sluggish and sleep ridden. "Huh?" Fraser's chuckled as he leaned over her nude form. "It's time to get up. We have to meet your mother and the rest of the family in another hour." Opening her tired eyes, she frowned. "Can't I sleep for few minutes? I promise I'll be ready."   
Fraser smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "You can sleep as long as I'm in the shower. The moment I come back into this room you'll have to get up." "Okay." Rolling onto her side, Francesca curled up in a ball. She smiled as she felt the comforter tucked around her. She listened to Fraser's footsteps as he walked down the hall.   
She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, but laying in the bed, all comfortable and warm was a bonus. If she would have been at home...well her old home...she would have had Ray yelling at her to get her ass out of bed. Her smile grew bigger as she thought about last night. She had drug Fraser into the house and the moment the door was closed, she attacked him. The surprised look on his face was classic. Luckily for her, he had quickly forgotten all about Ray and Meg parked out front.   
A contented sigh escaped her lips. They had made love several time and once again all of her planned things had been forgotten. The wine had stayed in the refrigerator and the outfit that she had pick out to wear, never left the dresser drawer. She'd have to remember to pack it with the rest of her things. This was one piece of lingerie that she planned on using as often as she could. She tried to imagine his response when he would see her wearing it.   
She grinned evilly as she heard the sound of Fraser's footsteps coming down the hall. She could barely make out his light tread as he walked over to the dresser to get his clothes out. Opening her eyes, she stared at his backside, letting her gaze trail over his thighs and calves. The play of muscle under his smooth skin sent a shiver through her. As he turned toward her, her eyes locked with his, causing him to pause. She smiled seductively as she looked downward. 

Fraser turned to find a pair of brown eyes staring into his grey-blue ones. A slow blush burned it's way across his cheeks as she hungrily looked at him. He knew it would be a long time, if ever, that he would be comfortable with the way that Francesca ogled him. Clearing his throat, he moved the clothing in his hand to cover himself, drawing an irritated look from her.   
"Aw come on Benton, we have time." He shook his head no. "You said that you would get up as soon as I came back." "Yes, I did, but I didn't tell you what I would be getting up, did I?" "Francesca..." He sighed, slightly amused and irritated at the same time. "...we'll have the entire trip to do the things that you want to do. I don't want to have Ray yelling at us for being late again."   
She sat up in the bed, a large smile spreading across her face. "Speaking of Ray, is he in the spare room?" "I hadn't even given that any thought." Jumping up from the bed, Francesca grabbed her robe, pulled it on and ran down the hall. Without knocking, she shoved the door open and turned on the light. "Yes!" Turning around, she almost ran into Fraser in the hall. Her voice was excited and she danced in place.   
"He's not here, Benton! We did it! They hooked up!" Fraser looked at the empty bed and smiled. "It would appear so, but what if Ray went home after he dropped Meg off? They might have not done anything at all." "Oh come on, don't be a spoil sport. I know Ray. I bet he's gonna be late this mornin 'cause he's gettin seconds. I'm gonna go and call Maria and see if he's home." Laughing, she ran down the stairs.   
Fraser shook his head and smiled as he watched her run down the stairs. There would be no escape for Ray. Francesca was going to make his life a living hell for what he had done to them in their short courtship. Walking back into the bedroom, he looked out the window to see what the weather was like. He did a double take as he spied the Riv parked outside the house. Pulling on his clothes, he frowned. How did Meg get home and where was Ray? Francesca bounced into the room, grinning broadly.   
"He's gettin it! Maria said his bed is empty and the car isn't there." Fraser gave her a thoughtful look as he pulled on a sweater. "Maybe his night wasn't a good one." "What do ya mean by that? He's with Meg." Fraser stood up and walked over to the window, pointing down at the Riv. Francesca's face screwed up. "That's not good." "I know." They stood next to one another staring down at the car. Francesca let out an excited squeal and jumped on the bed laughing. Fraser stared at her dumbfounded.   
"Francesca?" "Oh my God! He's sleepin in the car! He must have gotten home late and didn't want to wake us, so he slept in the car like an idiot!" She rolled off the bed and pulled on a pair of slippers. "I'm gonna go and wake him up." "That isn't very nice." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "He has to get up so he can get ready to leave doesn't he?"   
He followed Francesca down the stairs and cut her off by the door. "I'll go and wake him up. You're not dressed." "Oh come on, I have my robe on." "I'm not going to have you going outside and getting ill, it's rather chilly out." "How can you tell? You haven't been outside yet." "I felt the glass on the window upstairs and if you lay your hand on the door..." He placed her hand on the door panel. "...you'll notice that it's cool to the touch." "Oh all right. I'm gonna watch you though." 

Fraser walked out of the house, shaking his head at Francesca. She had the door wide open. She might as well have come out after all. As he approached the car, he leaned forward and looked in. He sucked in a deep breath and looked back at Francesca, his eyes wide. She gave him a curious look. Jerking his head back to look in the car, he choked back his laughter. Ray and Meg were curled up together in the back seat, their clothing and hair in disarray. He heard Francesca footsteps run up behind him.   
"What's the matter? Where's Ra..." Looking into the Riv, she grabbed Fraser by the arm and yanked it, pointing at the figures wrapped around one another. Her voice was loud and excited. "And he has the nerve to call 'you' a rabbit?! What do you call this!" She began to laugh hysterically, leaning against Fraser for support. He in turn, began to laugh along with her. All of the times that Ray had tormented him about Francesca and his sexual activities...well this one topped them all. 

 

Trying to get in a more comfortable position, Ray shivered as he shifted about, his hands grasping for the blanket. Feeling around, he only encountered a body laying against him. Tucking himself around the warmth, he smiled. His sleepy smile quickly evaporated as his eyes popped open. Looking around, he focused in on where he was. The back seat of the Riv. The body he was holding was Thatcher's.   
As he moved to sit up, his back spasmed, crying out in protest the uncomfortable sleeping arrangement that it had been made to endure. He could hear muffled laughter coming from outside of the car. He cringed, not from pain, but from fear. He would recognize that laugh anywhere. Actually there were two people, but he couldn't figure out who the second person was. Then it hit him. If one of the people laughing was Francesca, then the other one had to be Fraser.   
He shook Thatcher by the shoulder and she pushed out against him, her voice grumpy. "Go 'way." He shook her harder. "Meg...we're in deep shit." She elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt in pain. "Leave me alone!" Thatcher wasn't a morning person to begin with and her body was not in the best of moods after sleeping in a car all night.   
Ray heard a tapping on the passenger side window and then more laughter. Catching his breath, he pushed away from Thatcher and sat up, holding a hand to his aching back. He yelled at Fraser and Francesca as they peered into the back seat. "Get the hell away from here!" Francesca only waved at him and smirked, her voice yelled back at him through the glass. "No way Prince Charmin!"   
He glared back at his sister as she collapsed against Fraser, who looked as if he were going to pass out due to the fact that he was laughing so hard. "Aw geez. I can't get a break! I can never get a freakin break!" He pushed roughly at Thatcher's side, grabbing her arm as she tried to hit him again. "Meg, ya gotta get up. Benny and Frannie are here." She mumbled and Ray yelled at her. "Meg!"

Thatcher jerked awake, her shoulder screaming in protest at the quick action. It was an old injury, but it always bothered her if she didn't sleep right and now she was in pure agony. Rubbing at the throb in her shoulder, she glared with bleary eyes at the person who had caused her the pain. As her eyes focused, she blinked and saw the irritated face of Ray Vecchio staring back at her.   
"What...?" She slowly looked around, realizing that they were still in the Riv and it was light outside. She finally noticed the sound of hysterical laughter coming from outside the vehicle. Closing her eyes, she looked down at her lap, seeing her still undone pants. Her voice was small. "Shit."   
Ray joined in with her sentiments. "You ain't kiddin. We're busted Meg. Benny and Frannie are out there and we're still here. They know." "Damn it." "Uh huh. I ain't gonna be able to get any rest from this the entire vacation. They'll ride me like a pony on this one." Thatcher raised an embarrassed face to look at Fraser laughing outside the car. She was mortified. Here she was, an Inspector in the R.C.M.P., and she had been caught, figuratively speaking, with her pants down and by her junior officer. How in the hell was she ever going to gain his respect again?   
Thatcher began to slowly pull her clothing into place, keeping her head down. "Ray could you please take me home." "Sure. As soon as I get rid of Heckle and Jeckle, we'll go." Scrambling over the seat, Ray opened the driver side door and climbed out, falling to the pavement, as his half asleep legs gave way. He shivered violently in the morning cold. The sound of Fraser and Francesca's laughter echoed around him. Rolling over into a sitting position, he froze as his eyes locked with those of Mrs. Rizzo, who was standing on her front porch. Her lips pursed in disgust and she quickly wheeled around and went back into her home, the door slamming behind her.

Francesca spotted Mrs. Rizzo and froze, then she screamed out her laughter as the old Italian woman stalked back into her house, slamming the door. "Oh my God! Mrs. Rizzo!" Fraser leaned against the hood of the Riv and then stumbled around the car, looking down at the prostrate figure of Ray. Resting his hands on his thighs, he bent over, trying to catch his breath. "Ray...she...Rizzo...she got me too." He then broke out into a wheezing laugh and leaned back against the Riv. Ray rolled over onto his knees and pushed himself up.   
"You're not funny Benny. This ain't funny at all. Ma's gonna kill me when Mrs. Rizzo tells her what she saw." Francesca walked around the car and stood next to Fraser. Taking several deep breaths, she shook her head no.   
"What's she gonna tell Ma? She saw you fall out of the Riv?" Ray looked from Francesca and then back to Fraser, who were finally gaining control of themselves. "She's right Ray. Mrs. Rizzo didn't see Meg." As he said her name, Fraser peered into the car to look at her, the smile on his lips fading as he saw the forlorn figured huddled in the back seat. *Oh dear.*   
"Um...could you both excuse me for a moment please?" He moved away from Francesca and past Ray to slowly crawl into the front seat of the Riv. Pulling the door shut, he turned to look at Thatcher as she sat silently in the back seat of the car.   
He could see the confused looks on Francesca and Ray's faces, but he felt that Thatcher needed to be dealt with first. Her acting like this was all his fault. He kept his voice soft, trying to obliterate all traces of laughter. "Meg...um...I know you feel...awkward about this..." She kept her head down as she spoke. "Could you please leave." "I don't feel..." "Let me rephrase that." She looked him directly in the eyes. "Leave me alone...that's an order."   
Fraser could feel himself automatically obeying her command. He was trained to follow orders, but he caught himself as he was about to turn away from her, his voice was brusque. "No." "No?" "No, I will not leave. I'm not on duty and you are currently not my commanding officer. I'm on my honeymoon. You are not on duty either so I believe this situation does not apply to work standards. You and I need to have a discussion." He paused slightly before continued. "That's not correct. We need to have a talk...as friends."   
Thatcher gave him a curious look. "Friends?" Nodding his head yes, he continued. "Yes Meg. Friends. At least that's what I would like to consider our off duty relationship. One of friendship. What we do when we're not on duty shouldn't affect how we react to one another while we're working." She sighed and pursed her lips. "How can 'this' not affect us?" She waved her hands at the back seat of the car. Fraser's face turned a slight pink and he ran a nervous thumb across his brow.   
"It...this is none of anyone's concern. What you do...that is... it's yours and Ray's business." He paused and took a deep breath. "Did you...I mean...you never once brought up the incident that you...heard...on New Years Eve." A small smile came to her lips as she remembered hearing Fraser and Francesca having sex in Francesca's room. "No...that was no ones business but your own." He gave her a small embarrassed smile in return.   
"Then wouldn't it stand that this incident is the same?" He gave her a hopeful look and she seemed to relax for the first time since he sat in the car. "Yes, I believe that this would fall under that category." "Good...then I believe that the matter is settled." "Yes." He smiled back at her and then blushed as he looked at the back seat. Catching her eye, he tucked his head down before getting out of the Riv.


	7. Chapters 151 to 175

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited from Red Suits You. Will edit later.

Fraser exited the Riv as quickly as possible. He knew his face was red by the heat on his cheeks and he wanted to get away from Ray as quickly as possible to avoid any questions he might ask. "Meg would like to be taken home now. Francesca and I will be waiting for you to pick us up in an hour." Without another word, he tuned and grabbed Francesca by the hand, pulling her with him as he walked up to the house.

"Benton." Francesca pulled at her hand, trying to get Fraser to let her go. She felt him tighten his hold on her and he walked faster. Before she knew it, they were in the house and he finally let her go. Without saying a word, he ran up the stairs. Placing her hands on her hips, she gave the empty stairway a curious look before running up the stairs after him.

"Benton Fraser, what is wrong with you? Why'd you drag me in and what'd you say to Meg?" He looked up at her as he made the bed. "Could you help me please." She automatically grabbed an end of the comforter and helped him straighten it out. "Benton...spit it out. What did you say to her?" "It's between Meg and I...we agreed...as friends, that this issue wouldn't be discussed again." "And that's why you drug me in here? What's so bad about that?"

She stared at the top of his head as he looked down at the floor. "It's...well Ray and she...I find it hard to picture...in the Riv." "Oh, I get it. You were talkin to her and you pictured them doin it, didn't ya?" She smiled at him as he peeked up at her, his face still a nice shade of pink. "Yes." "I know it's gross, but come on. Ray needed it." Fraser mumbled under his breath. "I think she did as well." Francesca's eyebrows rose and she giggled. "You are bad."

Walking over to him, she took his arm and began pulling him toward the hallway. "How about I make you forget all about them? We could shower together. It would save time." She expected him to protest that what she had in mind would not be a time saver. They needed to hurry. Ray would be back in less than an hour and then they'd begin their journey to Florida. Instead, he picked her up and smiled. "That would be agreeable."

 

Ray frowned as Fraser crawled out of the Riv. His frown deepened when Fraser nervously rattled off about picking them up in an hour and to make matters worse, he practically ran into the house, dragging Francesca with him. *What in the hell did they talk about?* Opening the door, he slid into the drivers seat, twisting around to look at Thatcher who had remained in the back seat.

"What did you two talk about? He ran like a scared rabbit." Thatcher stopped tucking her clothes into place, to smile at him. "We agreed to never discuss this again. Then I believe he realized that he was sitting where we had recently...slept." "We didn't do anything in the front seat. Well, not much." Ray smiled. "Man, he's so weird when it comes to this stuff. I've never met a guy before that got so embarrassed over things like this."

Thatcher cocked an eyebrow at him. "You weren't embarrassed?" "Well...I was kinda, but not the way he was. I mean, we got caught. He caught us. Why should he be embarrassed?" "Your his friend, I'm his sup...friend." Ray smiled again. Thatcher was finally dropping the formalities with Fraser. "Fraser is a very private man and I don't think he enjoys discussing things of a sexual nature with anyone. It took a lot for him to come in here and talk to me." "Yeah, Benny's somethin ain't he."

Ray tapped his fingers on the steering column. "You ready to go Meg?" Looking at her watch, she sighed. "Yes, I should be getting home. Maggie is probably mad at me." "You left her food right? And she has water?" Thatcher stared back at Ray. "I wasn't home for bedtime. She's going to be angry with me. I'll be surprised if my apartment isn't torn apart." "Come on, it's only a cat. What's the big deal?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ray knew he had messed up big time.

"It's only a cat? Maggie is more than a cat, Ray Vecchio and don't you forget it." He held his hands up. "Okay, okay, geez you people are touchy when it comes to animals. Fraser gets like this when he talks about Dief. Is this another Canadian thing or what?" Thatcher rolled her eyes and angrily brushed her fingers through her hair. "Could you take me home please?" "Sure. Climb up front." "No thank you, I'd rather stay here if you don't mind."

Ray looked at the hard set of her eyes and her tightly drawn lips. The one thing he didn't want was Thatcher being mad at him when he wouldn't be home for two weeks. It would give her two weeks to think of why she didn't like him. Two weeks to decide that being with Ray Vecchio, number one jerk, was a mistake. He tried to keep the pleading tone from his voice and failed miserably.

"Aw come on Meg, I'm sorry. You know how I feel about Dief. I'll probably feel the same about Maggie when I get to know her. Come and sit up here." He patted the seat next to him. "Please?" Thatcher looked at the pathetic figure that he made and almost laughed. A small smile tugged at her lips as she tried to keep the scowl on her face. "All right. I'll sit in front." She crawled over the seat and snapped the seat belt around her waist. Reaching over, she hooked Ray's seat belt as well.

Sitting back, she gave Ray a sideways glance. "Well, are you going to take me home or shall I ask your sister to do it?" Starting the Riv, Ray pulled away from the curb. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the figure of Mrs. Rizzo standing on her front porch, holding the morning paper in her hand. She wore a disapproving frown as he drove away. He prayed that she hadn't seen Thatcher in the front seat. That's all he would need is his mother getting a hold of that little tidbit.

 

Driving the Riv down the nearly empty morning streets of Chicago gave Ray plenty of time to think. It also gave him plenty of time to worry. Thatcher sat in silence, looking out the passenger side window. She reminded him too much of Fraser when he was in a snit. The 'I'm not going to look at you or talk to you routine until I get a proper apology' snit.

Sometimes he would cave in with Fraser, sometimes he would let it drag on for a few days. With Thatcher, he knew he'd have to cave in and do it fast. With him in Florida and her in Chicago, there'd be no way he could try and sweet talk her. It was hard giving someone puppy dog eyes when all they could do is hear his voice on a phone. Giving a quick prayer to God, Ray began to grovel, hoping he didn't sound too pathetic.

"Um...Meg? You okay over there?" "Yes, I'm fine thank you." "You wanna maybe talk about somethin?" "No thank you." He tapped his fingers on the steering column. "I said I was sorry." She finally looked at him, her expression blank. "Yes, I know you did." Turning away from him, Thatcher continued looking out the window, hoping the slight smile on her face wasn't reflecting back for him to see.

*Crap.* "You're mad at me aren't ya?" She placed the blank look back on her face as she turned to look at him again. "No, I'm not angry. Should I be?" Ray stared dumbly back at her. "Uh...no." She turned back to the window again, feeling Ray's frustration and confusion emanate from him like the heat that was toasting her feet.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to Thatcher's apartment. Ray jumped out of the Riv, running around to the passenger side door, opening it for Thatcher. "Thank you." "Sure...I mean you're welcome." Walking her up to the entrance, he shoved his hands in his pockets, idly playing with the car keys.

"You have my number right?" Thatcher raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, you gave it to me last night." "You can call me anytime ya know." Thatcher pushed back the smile threatening to appear. "I'll try not to. A cell phone call to Florida would be rather expensive." "I'll call you then. Do ya want me to call you at work or at home?" "It doesn't really matter. What ever you would prefer."

They stood looking at one another for a few seconds. Ray couldn't stand it any longer. Pulling his hands from his pants pockets, he looked at the watch on his wrist. "I'd like to stay and talk an' all, but I gotta get back and pick up Benny and Frannie. Ma's gonna be expectin me home soon." Leaning forward he placed a quick kiss on her lips, frightened by the lack of response from her. The Ice Queen had returned.

"Well...see you in two weeks." "Yes. Have a nice trip. Make sure Constable Fraser comes back in one piece." Turning from Ray, Thatcher stepped into the foyer of the apartment complex leaving Ray standing by himself. She ran up the stairway to her apartment. Fumbling with the lock, she opened the door and ran across the living room. Stopping at the curtains to the balcony, she peered through a slit.

Ray hadn't moved. He was staring up at her apartment. Biting her lip, Thatcher giggled at the forlorn figure he made. If he wanted to irritate her, then he was going to have to learn that paybacks would be standard issue. She wasn't about to let him have the upper hand in their relationship. It wouldn't hurt him to think over what she meant to him.

As he was about to turn away, she casually opened the curtains, looking down at him, giving him another blank look. He gave her a small wave which she returned before turning away from the door. Running through the apartment, she ran into the bedroom, peeking through the curtains, watching Ray finally turn away from the apartment complex. She stood there, watching him get back in the Riv and drive away.

With a sigh, she pulled the curtains fully back, watching the sunrise cast colors of gold and orange across the sky. She had two weeks to go back to her old life. Two weeks without the man that use to annoy the hell out of her. Two weeks to miss the person that made her life something more than it use to be. Smiling, she looked forward to the phone calls that she knew Ray would make. He wouldn't be able to go two weeks without calling her.

Turning from the window, Thatcher's smile faded. In her haste to look at Ray, she had completely ignored her room. Her feather pillows were torn to shreds, the comforter had long slits in it. Basically her bed look as if a deranged serial killer had done a number on it. Closing her eyes, she yelled. "Maggie!"

 

 

Making his way slowly up to the house, Ray unlocked the door and walked in, throwing his coat on the couch. Climbing up the stairs he paused as he heard Francesca giggling. *Crap.* "Benny! Frannie! I'm in the house!" He heard a door upstairs open and then she called out to him. "We'll be out of the bathroom in a minute. Just go to the bedroom or somethin!" "Aw geez." Shaking his head, Ray used a hand to keep from seeing the bathroom entrance as he walked down the hall. *Don't they ever give it a rest?*

Flopping down on the bed in the guest room, Ray looked around. Except for the bed and a dresser, there wasn't anything else in the room. Francesca had said this was going to be the nursery, so why bother doing anything to it until the time came. He frowned looking down at his feet. Here his baby sister was married...again...and just like before, she was planning on having kids right away. What ever happened to waiting to see if things went okay? He knew that Fraser wouldn't do anything on purpose to hurt her, but sometimes things just didn't always work out.

Things didn't always work out. The words echoed in his head. Maybe he and Thatcher weren't working out. Maybe he was nothing more than a poor substitute for Fraser. A distraction until she got over the fact that he had married Francesca. Running a hand over his head, Ray could feel the bile in his stomach churning. It had happened too fast. He had let her get to him, just like he did Angie. A derisive snort escaped him.

Angie. The girl he fell in love with. The girl that was to be with him until he died. It turned out that the girl he loved, didn't believe in for better or for worse. She believed in the fairy tale of white picket fences and a house full of children. He had wanted to wait. To enjoy living with her. To be her husband. Angie had wanted kids right away...as soon as possible. It was like she was in a race to catch up with her friends that already had kids.

It had ended up causing numerous arguments between them. How in the hell were they supposed to have kids when they didn't make enough money to support themselves? Where did she think a house was going to come from? At the time, Tony and Maria had two children and the house was already crammed. Where would another kid fit?

Angie always countered that they would make room. The baby could stay in their bedroom until they could get enough money to buy a house. Each argument that she made for a baby, he would counter against it. That became the stake that drove them apart. Late nights and overtime pounded it further. Stakeouts drove it deeper. Finally she had enough of waiting and asked for a divorce. He was wasting her life. She wanted children and couldn't understand why he didn't.

It wasn't that he didn't want children, he just didn't want the same type of life for his kids that he had. A father that wasn't home half the time. A house so packed full of people that you couldn't keep secrets. Never having enough money to go out to a nice restaurant without waiting for the next paycheck to buy some new clothes. Now that he was doing okay in the financial department, things would be different. The only problem was...he was alone.

Angie made her choice. She left him and found someone who was willing to give her the American dream. That drew another snort and a grin from him. Angie lived in a house smaller than the one Fraser and Francesca were in. Her husband worked in a factory doing shift work, taking overtime to feed their two kids. The last time he had seen her, she looked worn out. Used. That was what she wanted though. She made her bed and was now sleeping in it with a man she hardly ever got to see, but she had her damn house and kids.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of the bathroom door opening and then the sounds of two sets of feet as they scampered down the hall to the other bedroom. Francesca yelled down the hallway. "It's all yours Ray! There's even hot water left for you!" She giggled and then squealed. He could hear Fraser laughing and then the door to their room shut, muffling their happy voices.

Walking out of the room, Ray went down the hall. The bathroom door was left open for him. A towel and washcloth were set out on the ledge by the window that was cracked to let some air in. Even after their shower, which he knew they took together, the room was clean. That had to be Fraser's influence. Francesca always left traces of soap and globs of hair in the tub. A terry robe was folded up neatly by the towels. Everything was neat and in it's place, just like Fraser.

Sighing, Ray undressed and got in the shower, hoping that the water would soothe him. He didn't know why he was getting so irritated thinking about Fraser. Well, he knew it had to do a lot with Fraser having everything falling in his lap lately...and the fact that at one time Thatcher wanted Fraser.

Closing his eyes, he stuck his head under the water, letting it run over him. *It's not Benny's fault. He deserves a break after all of the crap he's been through.* As the hot water beat down on him, Ray began to unwind. Reaching for a bar of soap, he grinned. Two bars rested side by side. One a pink color, obviously Frannie's, the other bar was a plain white cake of soap.

Picking the two soaps up, he sniffed the pink one. Oil of Olay. Ray always liked it when Frannie left her soap in the shower. She had good taste. Sniffing it again, he savored the delicate scent. It wasn't so girlie that he couldn't get away with using it. Bringing the white bar to his nose, he eyed the soap. It didn't really have a scent, but for some reason it was fresh. Placing Francesca's soap in the dish, he rubbed Fraser's soap in his hands. Putting the bar down, he ran the thin lather over his body. Frowning, he looked down at his chest.

There wasn't much of a lather and the lack of any scent bothered him. Grabbing the pink soap bar, Ray lathered up his washcloth, smiling at the pile of suds that quickly foamed up. This was what soap was supposed to do. He knew that Fraser's soap was good for getting clean because Fraser never had a trace of dirt on him, but he didn't trust it. With his luck it would be the kind of soap that could strip paint off a wall.

By the time he was done with his shower, Ray felt rejuvenated. Drying off, he rubbed himself vigorously with the fluffy towel. Pulling the robe on, he walked out into the hall and threw the towel and washcloth in the hamper. He could hear Fraser and Francesca's voices coming from downstairs. Walking back to the guest room, he grabbed his night bag from the floor and pulled on his clothes.

This was what he needed. A good hot shower and some time to think. The days he would spend apart from Thatcher would give him a chance to figure out what she really meant to him. Was it love or was it just him needing someone in his life because he had been jealous of Fraser and Francesca?

Even as he walked down the stairs to join the pair, he knew what the answer would be to his question. He was in love with Thatcher. Like it or not, his heart was lost to another cold uncaring woman. It would be up to him to change the way she felt about him. Now all he had to do is figure out how he would do it.

 

 

"Okay does everyone have everything?! Ma, do you have your pills? Maria, you got the kids bathing suits and stuff? Tony, did ya remember to turn the electric off and check the stove?" Ray yelled, shaking his head at the mass of people and luggage being packed tightly into the two vehicles. Every year he threatened to make the trip by plane and every year, they drove down to Florida. The only difference this year, was Fraser would be making the trip with them.

He looked over at Fraser and Francesca as they helped to pack the suitcases in the station wagon. Fraser was his brother-in-law. It still gave him the willies to even think it. Brother-in-law and more than likely, the future father of Francesca's long waited for children. The thought of those two having kids scared him. Between Fraser's idea of how things should be and the way Francesca acted, it would be amazing if the kids they produced would survive to adulthood. *They'll probably lick something they shouldn't.*

Looking around, he spotted Turnbull and cousin Tanya making their way up the front walk. "Hi ya Tanya. Um...Turnbull, why are 'you' here?" Turnbull linked hands with Tanya, gently swinging them back and forth between them. "Why I'm here to help Tanya take care of your home and to watch Diefenbaker for Constable Fraser." Ray stared at Turnbull as he smiled happily down at Tanya. *Oh my God...no!* Ray could feel his blood pressure rising.

Taking a step forward, Ray moved to pull Turnbull's hand from Tanya's only to have his mother step in front of him, blocking his path. "Tanya, Ren, how nice of you to do this for us." Turning to Ray she gave him a hard look. "Raymondo, isn't it nice that your cousin Tanya and Benton's friend Ren will be watching our home?" Clenching his hands into fists, Ray held his breath. He wanted to scream no. He wanted to shove Turnbull away from his cousin.

Looking past his mother, he looked at Tanya and he panicked. She had that same love struck look in her eyes that Francesca had always had for Fraser. The same adoration. The same pathetic, head over heels, I'm in love with a Mountie look. It was bad enough he had to go through this once in his life, but to be subjected to it twice wasn't fair. Why in God's name did he have to have this done to him? Why couldn't his family find nice Italian men from the neighborhood to date instead of Mounties from the frigid north? It wasn't fair.

Ray's voice was dry as he stared blankly at the pair. One small and dark, the other tall and blonde. Both with stupid grins on their faces. "Yeah Ma. That's nice." He turned away from them and walked quickly over to Fraser and Francesca. This time his voice was harsh and angry.

"What is goin on?! Huh? Why is that goofball holdin hands with Tanya?" Fraser looked past Ray and smiled. So he hadn't been imagining things at the wedding. Turnbull was smitten with Tanya and it's appeared that she was more than happy to return his feelings in kind. Francesca grabbed Fraser's hand and began pulling him over to the pair. "Aren't they cute together Benton?" They left Ray standing alone by the stationwagon. "Am I the only one that sees how wrong this is? Am I the only one that ever sees what's wrong?"

Running a hand over his head, Ray sighed in defeat. There wasn't much he could do about it now. He'd have to grab Turnbull when he came home from the vacation. They would have a nice long talk about how he wasn't going to continue seeing Tanya. There was no way in hell he was going to let Turnbull of all people date someone in his family. One Canadian in the family was enough as far as he was concerned. Well, two actually if he wanted to count Thatcher, but she was different. She was special.

 

 

Sliding behind the steering wheel of the Riv, Ray breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally time to leave. Looking in the back seat he frowned. "Benny why aren't you sittin up front?" The words no sooner left his mouth, when the passenger door opened and Mrs. Vecchio sat down in the seat. Closing the door, she smiled at Ray.

"I have decided to ride with you. This car will be less noisy. It will also give Tony and Maria a chance to enjoy being a family." Ray could only stare back at his mother. What could he do? Tell his own mother to get the hell out of the car? The long quiet ride that he was expecting wasn't to be. He knew his mother. She would use this time with him to dig into every nook and cranny of his life and Francesca's and Fraser's. No stone would be left unturned.

Starting the car, he spoke in a monotone. "Last chance to use the bathroom for the next hundred miles." Francesca snuggled against Fraser. "Nope, I'm fine. Do you have to go Benton?" Fraser looked down at the floor of the car, his voice low. "No." Mrs. Vecchio shook her head no. "Okay, then...off we go."

 

 

Pulling away from the house, Ray watched the figures of Turnbull, Tanya and Diefenbaker grow smaller. Diefenbaker was the lucky one. He would get to spend hours alone and when he wasn't by himself, he would be pampered. Ray had heard Turnbull talking to the wolf, telling him of all the delicious home cooked meals he was going to get while Fraser was gone. He knew that when Fraser came home, he'd find a stuffed pig instead of wolf.

When Fraser had walked over to say good-bye to Diefenbaker, his apologies and farewell were falling on truly deaf ears this time. Diefenbaker was glued to Turnbull's side. Ray could see that Fraser was upset by the wolf's actions, but he wasn't about to tell Fraser why Diefenbaker was so happy to see him go. Why ruin it for the wolf? At least one of them would have a good vacation.

 

 

They had been on the road for over two hours without Mrs. Vecchio even asking for any information. Fraser and Francesca had cuddled up together shortly after leaving Chicago, both of them wanted to take a small nap so they could relieve Ray later in the trip. Mrs. Vecchio had pulled out her cross stitch, working on it until the couple began to move about in the back seat.

Looking in the rearview mirror, she set her cloth and needle down in her lap. A smile came across her lips as she looked at the two sleepy figures slowly coming to life. Fraser looked exactly like he always did when she found him waking up. He had the rumple look of a little boy, his hair tousled, his face innocent. Francesca had the slight scowl and squinty eyes that showed she wasn't exactly in the best of moods. Her cranky voice seemed loud in the car.

"What time is it? How far are we?" Ray mumbled under his breath. "Not far enough." "What did you say?" "Nothin. We're only two hours out." "Oh." She ran a hand through her hair and straightened her shirt. "Are we gonna stop soon?" "Aw come on Frannie, if we stop now it'll take forever to get there." "Ray...I have to go okay. I'm sorry my bladder isn't huge like yours." Mrs. Vecchio looked Francesca over, eying her closely.

"Raymondo, if your sister says she needs to use the ladies room, then you should stop." "But Ma..." "Please. I think I would like to stretch my legs as well." "All right." Ray looked in the rearview mirror and frowned. "Benny are you okay?" Fraser covered a yawn. "Yes Ray, but some fresh air would do me some good. Plus I believe that it's my turn to drive. Didn't we agree to take two hour shifts so that no one would become overly tired?" "I'm okay. I can drive."

Francesca smirked and almost blurted out how Ray could drive Thatcher, but she quickly remembered that their mother was in the car. Keeping quiet, she tried to ignore the urge to urinate. Each bump in the road, made her grit her teeth. She shouldn't have had that glass of water before they left the house. She patiently waited for Ray to pull off to a rest stop. Leaning against Fraser, she concentrated, but the urge to go was only getting worse. Squirming, she finally spat out her irritation.

"Are we gonna stop or what?!" "We'll stop at the next rest stop." "I have to go now!" Mrs. Vecchio placed a hand on Ray's arm as he opened his mouth to yell back at her. "Please Raymondo. I would like to get out as well." Seeing an exit on the highway, Ray signaled that he was pulling off, looking in the rearview mirror to make sure that Tony and Maria were following them. He spotted a Kentucky Fired Chicken just off the exit and pulled into the lot.

Mrs. Vecchio calmly got out of the car. To Fraser's surprise, Francesca scrambled over him and ran for the restaurant. As he got out of the Riv, he watch her disappear into the building. Ray came out to stand beside him, placing a hand on his back, he stretched, grimacing at the tightness. Fraser smiled slightly and moved his own hand to Ray's back and pressed in on the muscles, rubbing them. Ray sighed.

"Man that feels good. Where'd ya learn to do that?" Fraser slowly removed his hand from Ray's back and motioned at his own back. "I find that...well it helps to relieve my own..." He let his voice trail off, feeling guilty for mentioning that his back still hurt him. Ray's own face wore a guilty expression.

"Aw Benny, I'm sorry. You're back...it's still hurtin you?" Fraser gave a small nod. "Occasionally it causes me some pain, but it's nothing that I can't deal with." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Tell you what Ray?" Ray rolled his eyes. "Tell me you were still havin problems with your back. It's all my fault ya know." Fraser shook his head no. "It's no ones fault Ray. It's just something that I have to live with. It's in the past. Isn't that what you've told me before?" "Yeah, but..." Fraser smiled slightly. "But nothing."

Ray smiled back at him. "You're turnin into Frannie ya know." "No, I'm learning from her and from you. I can't change things. I don't think I would want too. Everything that has happened to me has had a purpose. Francesca pointed that out to me." "Yeah, but what purpose did my shootin you serve?" "It kept me from leaving. It kept me from making the biggest mistake in my life. I didn't exaggerate when I said you saved my life by shooting me." Ray chuckled and began walking toward the restaurant, followed by Fraser.

As they walked into the building, they saw the Vecchio clan ordering food and drinks at the counter. Ray yelled at them. "Who said it was time for lunch?!" Tony shrugged his shoulders. "This ain't lunch Ray, it's a snack." Looking at the children with their sodas in their hands, he cringed. The trip was going to take forever. Visions of several bathroom stops in the next few hours filled his head. With a look of defeat, he joined the line. If he couldn't beat them, he might as well join them.

 

 

Ray stifled a yawn, rubbing at his eyes with the palm of a hand. This had to be the worst part abut the trip south. They were only a few minutes away from the house they rented every season. Having driven from Chicago to Sarasota straight through was usually a nightmare. He had to admit it really wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. With Fraser and Francesca taking turns driving the Riv, no one really got the chance to get overly tired, but being trapped in a car the entire day was exhausting in itself.

To his immense joy, Mrs. Vecchio had never given any of them the third degree. Most of the trip was spent talking about what they would do the entire vacation or what Fraser and Francesca had planned for the spring. Were they going to plant a tree in the yard, what kind of fencing did Fraser want to put around the house?

Opening the driver side window further, Ray breathed in the salt tinged air, feeling a warm breeze caress his cheek. He loved Florida. The cold winter air never reached here. His joints didn't ache, he didn't have to chip ice off the Riv. Florida was the next best thing to heaven. As he drove, he looked out at a beach as they passed it. Slowing down, he smiled. Fraser had never seen a beach before. The Arctic waters didn't count for shit when compared to this.

Pulling the car off the side of the road, he turned around in his seat. Keeping his voice low, he called out to Fraser who was dozing in the back seat. He was curled up around Francesca, holding her the way a child would hold a teddy bear or some other favorite stuffed toy. "Benny...hey Benny...wake up." Fraser moved slowly, his eyes opening to slits. Blinking, he rubbed the sleep away. "Do you want me to drive Ray?" "Nah, we're only a few minutes away. I wanted you to see somethin."

Quietly opening the door, Ray got out. Francesca woke up, looking around in confusion. "Huh? Are we there?" "No Francesca. Ray said he has something he wants me to see." "What?" "I don't know." They quietly got out of the Riv, trying their best to not wake Mrs. Vecchio. Tony walked up to the group.

"What's the matter Ray, you got car problems?" "No, I just wanted Benny to see this." He gestured at the ocean. Tony rubbed a hand over his face. "Couldn't you wait until mornin? Geez, Ray, I'm beat." Ray fished through the pocket of his jeans and handed Tony a key. "Go ahead, we'll be there in a few minutes." Tony took the key and made his way back to the station wagon and left.

Ray watched Francesca take Fraser by the hand and lead him out to the beach. "Take your shoes off Benton." They sat on a bench and took their shoes and socks off. Ray and Francesca sighed as they walked onto the sand, letting their toes dig down in the cool softness that was beneath their feet.

A smile appeared on Fraser's face as he stepped onto the beach. Keeping his head down, he watch the sand shift underneath him, feeling it go between his toes. As he hit the wet sand, his smile grew wider at the change in texture and feel. He took a tentative step forward, expecting to feel shocking cold water, even when he knew he wasn't in the northern regions of Canada. Warm water ran over his feet and then it went back out to the ocean.

Lifting his head, he looked out across the beach. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply, cataloging the scents and sounds of this place. Francesca was right. He had never been to a real beach before. He couldn't believe how wonderful everything was. How magical. Opening his eyes, he grew embarrassed, feeling the heat of a blush stain his cheeks, hoping that in the darkness they couldn't see it. Francesca and Ray were watching him, waiting to see his reactions, knowing that he was en rapt with what he was seeing and feeling.

Ray smiled brightly, his features visible in the moonlight. "Pretty cool huh Benny?" "No it's not cool at all Ray. The water is warm." Ray shook his head and chuckled. "Uh huh. Ain't it great? Admit it. This is way better than that arctic freeze you call home." Cocking his head to the side, Fraser thought for a moment. "No Ray, they're different. This is nice, but I prefer home to this." Ray began walking back to the Riv. "Uh huh...you wait a week. Once you've experienced paradise, you won't ever want to go back to that freezer you call home."

Francesca took Fraser's hand and they walked slowly back to put on their shoes. She gave a contented, but tired sigh. "Wait until you see this place in the day. You won't believe how warm it is. You won't be able to wear those jeans you have on. You have to be roasting now as it is." Francesca was right. He was a bit hot. He looked forward to exploring this strange new environment, hoping this trip due south was exciting as the one he had when he first came to Chicago.

 

 

Walking into the house, Ray, Fraser and Francesca found a chaotic mess. Toys, suitcases and bodies were strewn across the living room. Tony sat in a large chair munching on a bag of chips, watching the television. Maria was in the process of dragging a large suitcase to one of the bedrooms. The children were asleep on the couch.

Fraser hurried over to Maria and took the suitcase from her. "Sit down and relax Maria. Ray, 'Tony' and I can do all of this." Tony looked up from his bag of chips, dropping them to the floor. "Oh...sorry." Pushing himself out of the chair, he grabbed several bags and made his way down the hall. Maria smiled at Fraser. "Thanks Benton. He's getting better, but he slides back once in a while."

Grabbing some bags, Ray followed Fraser down the hall. Tony walked out of a bedroom and directed Ray and Fraser. "The blue one goes in this room and the gray one goes in that one. Me an' Maria will be sleepin here. The kids and Ma will be in there. You're in that room Ray and you an' Frannie go in that one in the corner." Before Ray could protest, Tony hurried back down the hall to get more of the luggage.

Placing a suitcase on a bed, Fraser turned to see Ray standing in the hall with an irritated look on his face. "Ray, what's wrong?" Ray dropped the bag he was holding and led Fraser down the hall. That's what's wrong." Opening the door to an extremely small room, he frowned. "Look at this place. It's nothin more than a closet." "Where do you normally sleep?"

Ray looked at the corner room that Tony had given Fraser and Francesca. Every year he had slept in that room. It was the most private and it was pretty spacious. With a mental sigh, he knew Tony did the right thing. It could have been worse. He could have been stuck in the room with the kids. Instead, Tony had been nice and made sure he had a room to himself.

"Forget it Benny. This room's fine." Fraser could tell that Ray still wasn't happy. "If you would like, Francesca and I could sleep in here and you could have the corner room." "Nooooo. I ain't gonna listen to Frannie bitch about gettin stuck in a small room. Hell, there isn't enough room for her makeup case. Try and imagine her gettin all of her crap in this room and then you and your stuff has to fit too."

Walking back down the hall, they continued carrying luggage from the living room to the bedrooms. Unloading the Riv was the final step. By the time they were done, all of the adults were exhausted. Maria, Francesca and Mrs. Vecchio had spent their time cleaning the kitchen and the bathrooms. Francesca smiled down at Angelo who was hanging half off the couch, sucking his thumb. "Benton, do ya wanna grab Angelo and I'll try and get Tereasa?" Tony walked over and grabbed Tereasa.

"I got her, Frannie. She's gettin too big for you to carry." Maria picked up Tony Junior and they left the room. Scooping Angelo up, Fraser quietly carried him down the hall, depositing him gently in bed. Pulling his shoes and socks off, he covered him up. Maria adjusted the air conditioner to a cooler setting. Whispering, she grinned. "They like it cold so they can still feel like they're home."

Mrs. Vecchio yawned. "I think I will go to bed as well. I will see you in the morning." As she closed the door to the room, they left the hall quietly. Walking back to the living room they flopped down on the now empty couch and chairs. Tony rubbed a hand over his face. "Maria, you wanna stay up or go to bed?" "I say bed. I'm bushed." Standing, she took Tony's hand and they left the room, leaving only Ray, Francesca and Fraser.

Francesca looked Fraser over, a small smile appearing on her face. "You wanna go to 'bed'?" Fraser looked first at Francesca and then he cast a quick glance at Ray who was stretched out in a chair with his eyes closed. Holding a hand out to her, he smiled. Francesca giggled as they left the room, leaving Ray alone. They had no intentions of sleeping and with Ray out in the living room, they wouldn't have to worry about him complaining that they were too much like rabbits. Besides, they were married. What would Ray have to complain about now?

 

 

Moving silently through the house, Fraser and Francesca went to their room and grabbed their toothbrushes and toothpaste. Once they were done with their tasks in the bathroom, they tip toed their way back to the bedroom. Francesca began to laugh and quickly smothered it as they closed the door to the room. Flopping on the bed, she smiled up at Fraser.

"So what do you wanna do Benton?" Without saying a word, he stood by the bed and slowly stripped his clothing off, keeping his eyes on Francesca's face the entire time. A wicked grin appeared on his face as tossed his boxers in the corner of the room. She looked from the boxers where they had fallen to the floor and then back at Fraser. "It had better not be somethin too noisy. This place isn't that big ya know."

Crawling onto the bed, he straddled her still clothed body. "What are you gonna do?" "Nothing. It's what 'you' are going to do for me." She eyed him warily. "Wait a minute. You never want to go first." Smiling, he edged himself further up her chest. "You were the one that complained that I never wanted to do things differently. I'm only doing what you requested." "No. I just think you're horny and don't wanna wait." "Maybe. It's up to you, Francesca."

She lay perfectly still, letting her eyes run over him. He was perfect to her. Not an ounce of fat, just smooth pale skin over a nice tight body. Looking further down, she watched in fascination as his penis slowly filled itself with blood. She could see each beat of his heart as his erection grew in size. He knew she wouldn't deny him. She had complained of him always wanting to pleasure her first. Now that he was doing what she wanted, she was doubly sure that he was hers without a doubt.

Wrapping a hand around him, she slowly tugged and pulled him, feeling him tighten even further. She pulled him harder, motioning him forward. The moment he shifted forward, she flicked her tongue out to lick the tip, tasting him, savoring the soft heat that met her touch. When she closed her mouth around him, he sighed and closed his eyes. Still tugging him, she took him in further, letting her tongue caress his shaft before pulling back, only to swiftly move her mouth forward.

Increasing the rhythm, she also began to suck at him, feeling him growing harder. Letting go of his shaft, she softly stroked at his balls, feeling them tighten at her touch. His hips rocked gently back and forth in time with her movements. This was going to be a quick one, much to her surprise. Apparently when he wanted to, Fraser could release himself sexually faster than she had ever thought.

He leaned over her, so that all she saw were the tight muscles of his lower abdomen. She could see him straining to control himself once more. She would have none of it. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled him to her, surprising herself in the process. She had never taken any man so deeply before. She didn't think it would have been possible without choking herself, but here she was doing it.

"Dear mother of God!" Fraser's voice was a bit too loud as he cried out. Francesca fought the urge to gag as he came in her mouth and thrust into her at the same time. Quickly swallowing what he had given her, she pushed him away from her, gasping for breath. As he moved away, he was still cumming, shooting semen onto her chest. Rolling onto her side, she tried to catch her breath, coughing and breathing heavily.

Gentle hands wrapped themselves around her, lips brushed against her ear. "I'm sorry Francesca. I didn't mean to...I was trying to hold back, but you were...it was..." Her voice was strained, while his was guilt laden. "It's okay." "No...I shouldn't have. I should have...shown more restraint." Fraser was still breathing heavily as he slowly pulled her over to face him. Caressing her cheek, he rubbed a thumb over her mouth.

"I am sorry, it's...your just so beautiful." She giggled as she though of how her face looked while she was performing oral sex. How in the hell could something like that be beautiful? He gave her a confused look. Reaching out to him, she kissed him passionately, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. If she had to taste him, then it would be only fair for him to taste her. Pulling away, she gave him a wicked smile. "It's my turn now."

 

 

Ray woke up and looked around the living room. Everyone else had gone to bed and left him sleeping on the couch. As he sat up, his back spasmed. Between sleeping in the back seat of the Riv and now on an old piece of furniture, his muscles were shot. Slowly getting up, he stretched and rubbed at his aches. Walking down to his room, he flopped on the small twin bed, frowning at the small dark space around him.

The quiet hum of the air conditioner began to lull him to sleep. Who cared if he brushed his teeth? It wasn't like Thatcher was going to walk in the room and want to kiss him or anything. Kicking his shoes off, he curled up on his side, sighing in contentment. The bed may have been small, but it was comfortable. Just as he was beginning to drift back to sleep, he heard them. There was no mistaking their voices. He could hear what they were saying, even though it was muffled.

*No. Please God, no.* Apparently God thought other things were more important than his request, because he could hear them doing something. Then Fraser moaned. When he cried out, Ray flinched like he had been slapped in the face. *Aw geeeez!* Then their voices grew louder. When he heard his sister begin to laugh, followed by loud moans and mews, he slapped his hands over his ears.

His heart beat rapidly. This was disgusting. He could hear them having sex. It was like he was in the room with them, only his eyes were closed. The bad part was he was able to visualize everything they were doing. When Francesca let out a keening wale, he flipped himself on his stomach and jammed the pillow over his head. This was beyond disgusting! It was gross! He resisted the urge to pound on the wall to get them to knock it the hell off.

Even with the pillow over his head, he could hear them. Soft voices talking. Some movements. Cautiously taking the pillow off, he sighed in relief. They had to be done. Then he heard it. The sounds of the bed creaking, the gentle rocking rhythm. Moaning and groaning in timbers both male and female assaulted his ears. He lay there listening to it, unable to believe that God would punish him like this. What did he do to deserve this?

By the time they had stopped, it was almost three in the morning. How could anyone have sex so much this late at night after such a long car ride? It was inhuman. "They're rabbits. Stinkin freakin rabbits!"

Rolling over onto his side, Ray curled up into a ball. All he heard now was the gentle hum of the air conditioner. He tried to even his breathing out. He tried to relax. Opening his eyes he stared blindly at the wall. Giving up, he threw back the blanket that covered him.

Mumbling under his breath about rabbits, he walked out of the bedroom and down the hall. If he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he might as well get a snack and watch the late show. Running a hand over his head, he sighed. "What a way to start my vacation."

 

 

Mrs. Vecchio walked down the hall humming a happy tune. She was on vacation with her family and all was right with the world. Her two daughters were married and happy. Her son was finally seeing someone with a bit of class. The last woman he was involved with hadn't suited her at all and she was pleased when the relationship soured.

Visions of more grandchildren playing in the backyard flitted through her head. She had always wanted a large family herself, but when she found out that her husband wasn't a true husband to her, she had gave up all dreams of a large happy family. It may have been a sin, but she had taken precautions to prevent any more children by him after Francesca was born. He wasn't a father to them, so why have any more?

When he died, she gave up her dreams of ever having anyone in her life to love her. She had hoped that he would have woke up and seen what he had before him. A loving wife and three beautiful children. He saw none of it. All he wanted was to gamble, drink and...she wouldn't think about the last part. It was too painful. Even though she tried to not think about her, she did. The tramp that ruined her family. The tramp that took from her what should have been hers forever.

With a start, she realized that she had been standing in the hall for a minute or two. Crossing herself and saying a silent prayer, she wished for her husbands damned soul to find some peace. Walking into the living room, she saw that the television was on. Shaking her head, she went to switch it off. Someone was always leaving the set on at home. Turning from the television, she blinked in surprise.

"Raymondo?" What was Ray doing sleeping on the couch when he had a perfectly good bed? Leaning down, she gently pushed him on the shoulder. "Raymondo, get up." Groggily opening his eyes, Ray looked up at his mother. His back ached and his legs felt cramped. "Mornin Ma." Yawning, he slowly sat up, trying not to flinch at the pains that ran through him.

"Why did you sleep here?" She gestured at the old couch. Running a hand over his face, he grimaced at the taste in his mouth. *Yuk.* "I, uh...I couldn't sleep." "*I couldn't sleep 'cause Frannie an' Benny were fuckin like rabbits all night.* She gave him a worried look and felt his forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Are you feeling all right? You didn't get sick on the trip here?" "No Ma, I'm not sick. I guess I was just too excited about bein here and I couldn't sleep, so I came out to watch the television." Shaking her head, Mrs. Vecchio ran a hand over the top of his head and down his cheek, patting him lightly. "If you should have trouble sleeping tonight, wake me up and I will fix you some warm milk and honey." "Okay Ma."

"I am going to make some tea before I go out to breakfast. Would you care for a cup?" "Tea?" "Yes, Benton gave me some teas and I would like to try them." "Nah, I'll wait and have coffee with breakfast. Where you goin to eat this mornin?" "I am going to see your cousin Estelle." "She's still alive?!" Mrs. Vecchio gave him a disapproving look. "That is not nice Raymondo." "Come on Ma, she's older than dirt. I thought she died last winter." "No, she was 'sick', not dead. You should go and see her this time. Maybe next year she won't be here." She walked away from Ray and went about making her tea.

 

 

Ray watched his mother move about the kitchen, noticing for the first time just how old she was. The morning sun shining through the windows seemed to emphasize every line and wrinkle on her face. The gray hair on her head seem to be overtaking the black. She moved slower. She looked old. What had happened to the trim figure of a woman with the jet black hair that was once his mother? The woman who never seemed to tire.

The sorrow felt like a lead weight in his stomach. His mother was old. She had grandchildren. Hell, he was getting old! Here he was fast approaching forty and he didn't have a wife or any children of his own. What in the hell happened? Where had all the years gone? All his hopes and dreams lay shattered at his feet like a glass dropped to the floor. If he didn't get moving, his mother would never get to know 'his' children'. Hell, if he didn't get moving his own kids wouldn't really get to know him!

Standing, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed her from behind, hugging her as hard as he could. "I love you, Ma." Laying her hands on his, she smiled. "I love you too Raymondo." Letting her go, he went to walk out of the kitchen and stopped. "Hey Ma." "Yes?" "You think maybe I can go over with you to see cousin Estelle?" She smiled back and nodded her head yes. "I'll wait for you." She motioned him out of the room. "Go get showered."

Smiling, Ray walked down the hall, hearing his mother beginning to sing an old tune. He still had time to do the things he wanted to do with his life. All wasn't lost. Making a mental note to himself to call Thatcher when he got back from visiting his cousin, he whistled happily when he found the bathroom empty. Frannie wouldn't be hogging all the hot water this morning. He would!

 

 

He could feel her warmth as she lay beside him. The quiet hum of the air condition was the only noise except for their breathing. Rolling on his side, Fraser watched Francesca. She looked so small laying next to him. Taking a finger, he softly traced it down her cheek. He couldn't believe that she was really his. Every morning for the rest of his life, he would wake up beside her.

A slight frown crossed his lips and he closed his eyes. He hoped that would be what his life would be like for now on. No more sorrow. No more being alone. He felt complete with Francesca in his life. No one he had ever been with had made him feel this way. Not even...her. He wouldn't think about it. The past was the past and no matter what he did, nothing could ever be changed. He couldn't go back in time and fix what had gone wrong. He couldn't bring her back. She was dead and buried.

Moving closer to Francesca, he hugged her body possessively to his, nuzzling his face in her hair. Dark raven hair that smelled like a summer field, fresh and light. Skin soft and smooth lay beneath his fingers. Slowly pulling the covers back so as to not wake her, he let his eyes roam over her breasts. Cupping one, he softly ran a thumb over a nipple, watching her body respond to his touch, even in sleep.

Running a hand down her flat stomach, he smiled at the thought of her pregnant. She would look so different, but she would still be beautiful to him. There would be nothing that could ever make him feel any differently toward her. The moment he had seen her at dinner his first night at the Vecchio's, he knew she was special. There was something about her that drew him to her. When he discovered that he loved her, it hurt to not tell her. Now he could say it any time he wanted to.

Placing his lips next to her ear, he whispered. "I love you." She fidgeted as his breath tickled her. Curling into a fetal ball, she turned on her side, facing him. He wanted to wake her up and make love to her, but he didn't want to ruin her peaceful slumber. Pulling the covers back over her body, Fraser slowly slid out of bed, trying his best to make no noise. Silently, he pulled on a pair of jeans. Digging through his bag, he gathered his things to get showered.

Taking one last look at her, he stepped out into the hall and made his way to the bathroom. Someone had already been there. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. It was Ray. There would be no mistaking his after shave. Quickly showering, he cleaned up the bathroom and made his way to the kitchen. A pot of tea was sitting on the stove and a note was on the counter. Ray and Mrs. Vecchio had gone to visit their cousin Estelle and would be back in a few hours.

Pouring himself a cup of the lukewarm tea, Fraser walked into the living room. Going to the glass sliding door, he pulled it back and stepped outside. The sight before him was something quite like he had never seen before. A small deck with a table and chairs were on the back of the house. Where the deck ended the sand began.

Even at this early hour, it was warm. Too warm for jeans. Francesca was right, he would roast if he insisted on wearing denim or flannel here. Stepping out onto the sand, he slowly walked toward the ocean, watching the waves rushing in, leaving a trail of foam as it washed back out. The cries of seagulls reached his ears. Turning his eyes northward, he followed their white and black forms as they lazily coasted through the clear blue sky.

The sounds were relaxing. The water, the gulls and even the murmur of voices in the distance all blended into a cadence of simplicity. It was peaceful. He could understand why Ray thought this place was the nearest thing to heaven. He could grow to love the beach, but he knew deep in his heart that the frozen plains of the Territories were where his heart would always belong. The cold biting wind, the sharp scent of ice and fir. The call of the caribou or wolf. The snow and ice could never be replaced by sand and shore. There was nothing on earth that could make him feel so wonderful. Except for Francesca, he reminded himself. She was more wonderful than the north.

Walking closer to the ocean, he sipped the cup of tea. There would be so much to learn while he was here. So much to do and see. Francesca had told him of so many things, that he had lost track of everything. It didn't matter. There was no agenda. For the first time in his life, he found that he didn't care if he slept late or got up early. There were no schedules to keep. All there would be was relaxing and enjoying time spent with his wife.

"Wife." Saying the word aloud, he let it roll over his tongue like a fine chocolate. He was married. He had a wife. He had a chance to make his life wonderful again. Full of love and family. Without rolling his jeans up, he waded into the water up to his knees. The surf churned around his legs, the sand shifted beneath his feet. Curling his toes into the soft substance, he sighed. Warm water, warm sand and now a warmed soul. Life didn't get any better than this.

 

 

Rolling over, Francesca felt the space beside her. When she found nothing, she rolled over to the other side. When she encountered another empty section of bed, she opened her eyes and sat up. They were on vacation and she expected to find Fraser by her side. Throwing the covers back, she pulled on a robe and stalked down the hall.

The living room was empty, so she went to the kitchen. A cold pot of tea sat on the stove and a note lay on the counter. Picking it up, she read that Ray and her mother had gone to visit their cousin Estelle. There was no mention of Fraser going with them. For some reason she began to worry. Fraser had no idea where he was or what was around them.

What if he decided to go for a morning swim? He may have been able to tell her what undertow and riptide were, but did he know what they could do? He admitted himself that he had never swam in the ocean. Except for falling or being pushed into the freezing waters of the arctic, those were his only experiences. The warm Atlantic waters could be so deceiving. She had to get dressed and go look for him.

As she rushed past the sliding glass door, she caught a glimpse of a solitary figure on the beach. Walking back to the door, she took a better look. The man wasn't on the sand, he was standing in the water, with nothing but a pair of blue jeans on. A smile came to her face as she watch the figure turn slightly. It was Fraser, standing in the ocean, drinking a cup of tea.

Smiling in relief, she softly pulled the door back and stepped outside. It was already warm and she could tell that shorts and a light t-shirt would be the dress for the day. Maybe even a tank top. As she approached him, he turned around to face her, his eyes alight with both amusement and embarrassment.

"Good morning Francesca." "Good morning Benton." She poked a toe in the sand as she spoke. "Ya know, if you wanted to go in the water, you should have put on your bathing suit and woke me up." Looking down at his legs, he smiled. "I couldn't help it. It was too inviting." "I can tell you're gonna spend most of this vacation in the water aren't you?" "It is different. I like..." Tucking his head down, he smiled again, a pink blush showing itself on his chest.

"You like what?" Hiking her robe up, Francesca waded into the water to stand beside him. "What do you like?" Cocking his head to the side, Fraser grinned like a little boy. "I like the way the sand goes between my toes." Smiling up at him, Francesca knew that this vacation would be different than any of the other ones her family had taken.

What she took for granted, Fraser was discovering anew. The childlike wonder and curiosity that surrounded him made her feel warm, pushing aside the fear she felt earlier. He was finally going to get to live his childhood. Reaching a hand out, she took his free hand and slowly pulled him back to the beach.

"I think we should eat breakfast first, then we can get ready to go swimming." "You don't want to visit your relatives?" "Nah, we'll be here for two weeks. I want to see you ride the waves." He looked back at the ocean, watching the waves roll in and come crashing toward the shore. The foamy whiteness swirled sand and shells about, erasing the footprints that they had left behind. The idea of swimming in the churning mass excited him. "I'd like that." "Good, so would I. It's been a while since I went swimming."

Walking up to the house, they paused on the deck, the both of them looking at Fraser's wet jeans as they dripped on the wood. "Take your jeans off Benton." "I can't." "Why not?" "I didn't wear any..." His voice trailed off and Francesca grinned. "You didn't wear underwear again? Ya know, you're the last person I would have pictured having this habit." "You know I've done it before." "I know, but it's just not you. Stay here and I'll go and get you a robe."

Standing on the deck, Fraser turned back to look at the beach. A woman jogged at the edge of the water, a dog running along with her. A pang of guilt ran through him as he thought of Diefenbaker. He had wished he could have brought the wolf with him, but the landlord of the house they rented didn't allow pets. Especially wolves. He wondered what Diefenbaker was doing. He knew that Turnbull would take care of him, but he missed having Dief with him.

 

 

Diefenbaker rolled over on his back, stretching his paws high in the air. The aroma of waffles, bacon and eggs wafted throughout the Vecchio house. Turnbull stood over the stove grating cheese onto the cooking mass of eggs, peppers and onion. Sitting up, Dief licked his chops, hoping that he looked pitiful enough to at least get a sliver of the bacon. Tanya, who sat at the kitchen table, giggled at him.

"Ren, would you look at him." Looking over his shoulder, Turnbull smiled. "If you think he's excited now, just you wait until dinner." Turnbull quickly prepared a plate of waffles, pouring heated syrup over them, slathering it with a large scoop of whipped butter. Spooning a generous portion of eggs on the plate, he placed three strips of bacon next to them. Eying the plate, he nodded in satisfaction. Walking over to Diefenbaker, he set the plate down in front of the wolf.

Diefenbaker looked first at the heaping plate of food and then back up at Turnbull. No human had ever done this before. It had to be a test of some sort. The human smiled down at him, his tone of voice approving, a gesture toward the plate was all he needed. This food was all for him! He attacked the eggs like he would have a wild rabbit. If this human wanted him to eat this entire plate of food, he would gladly do so!

Turnbull and Tanya both laughed at the look of confusion on Diefenbaker's face. "Yes, it's yours boy. Go ahead." He gestured at the plate of food, smiling even brighter at the way the wolf gobbled it down. Walking over to Tanya, he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Doesn't it make you feel good to watch someone enjoy the fruits of your labor?"

 

 

Ray and Mrs. Vecchio walked into the house to the normal chaos that was expected on their vacations. The children ran about excitedly, dragging various beach toys with them. Maria and Tony were busy packing snack, juices and sandwiches into a large cooler. Stepping over a pile of beach towels, Ray scanned the rooms. Francesca and Fraser were no where to be seen.

"Where's Benny and Frannie? Did they go out or somethin?" Without looking up from the sandwich she was making, Maria giggled. "She's in the bedroom swabbing down Casper with sunscreen." Ray grinned and headed down the hall. As he neared the bedroom that Fraser and Francesca were in, he could hear them talking.

"Take 'em off Benton." "Francesca, I can do this myself." "Will you just take 'em off. If I don't coat you with this stuff, you'll burn. If you burn, you won't be able to enjoy the rest of the vacation." Standing by the door, Ray leaned in, smothering a laugh. Francesca was right. Fraser would ignite in the hot Florida sun, like tinder doused with gasoline. The pairs voices began again, causing Ray to regret eavesdropping on them.

"Francesca...don't do that." "Why not? We have time. Ma and Ray aren't back yet." "We really shouldn't. What if one of the children..." "Oh they aren't gonna bother us. Maria said our room was off limits." "Why?" "Oh come on. We're on our honeymoon, she was bein nice." "Ah." "Uh huh. How about it?" He could hear movement on the other side of the door. There was no mistaking the sounds that he heard and when Fraser moaned, he jerked away from the door and silently made his way back down the hall and into the kitchen.

Grabbing slices of bread and cheese, he began to make a sandwich, trying to block out the visual of his sister giving Fraser a blow job. Shaking his head, he shivered. Maria looked up at him and began laughing softly. "Shut up Maria." "I didn't say anything Ray." "Yeah, but I know what you're thinkin." Edging closer to Ray, she lowered her voice. "They're doing it, aren't they?" "Yeah...kinda."

Maria's eyes widened. "You mean Frannie is...right now?" "Can we talk about somethin else besides them?" "No." Maria gave Ray an evil grin. "Was she...or was he?" "Aw come on Maria. Can't you let it rest?" "If you don't tell me, I'll start teasing you about Meg." Ray gave her a sharp look and could see that she meant business. When Maria decided to tease, she would do it with no mercy. "Frannie's given, Benny's receiven." Maria smiled again and shook her head.

"Ya know, I never pictured Frannie as doing that kind of thing. She said she hated doing that with Gino. She said he was so hairy that it..." "Enough!" Ray yelled causing everyone in the room to stop what they were doing and look at him. Maria saved him, Frannie and Fraser from any embarrassment. "God Ray, you don't have to yell. If you don't want that much cheese on your sandwich, you should have said so." The children fell for it and Tony and Ma both smiled, knowing that Maria was tormenting Ray.

Lowering her voice, Maria snickered. "Just you remember Raymond Vecchio, I'm the oldest and I'm the smartest. Don't mess with the best." "Oh shut up." "You know Ray...Meg looks like the kind of woman that won't want a big wedding. When the time comes, do you think we should plan on a small service to make her happy or a large one to make Ma happy?" Ray closed his eyes and counted to ten. It would have been so easy to take the pitcher of punch and dump it over her head.

"Drop it Maria." "Say you're sorry for yelling at me." She began piling the sandwiches in the cooler, all the while looking at him for his reply. He had a choice. Say he was sorry, even if he didn't do anything wrong or steel himself for her onslaught of teasing and torment. Where Frannie just yelled, Maria connived and plotted. Where Frannie would throw things, Maria would wait for the right moment and humiliate him in front of the largest group of people possible.

"Okay...I'm sorry. Are you happy now?" "Say it the right way." Gritting his teeth, Ray repeated a phrase that Maria had made him say since he was four years old. "I'm sorry that I was mean to you. You are the best sister a brother could ever have." "That's better. Now how about you go down the hall and tell Frannie to hurry up and get done with Benton." "Maria..." "She's taking to long putting the sunscreen on." Dropping the sandwich that was clutched between his fingers, Ray wiped off his hands and headed back down the hall.

Walking down the hall, Ray made sure that his tread was heavy, hoping that Fraser and Francesca would get the hint. He didn't pause as he knocked on their bedroom door. "Yo Frannie, Maria said to hurry up, the kids are gettin fidgety!" Going into his own room, Ray quickly changed into his bathing suit, relieved to hear the door to Francesca's room open and close. The sound of footsteps faded down the hall.

Standing in front of a mirror, Ray stuck his tongue out at his reflected image. He looked scrawny and pale. What in the hell did Thatcher find attractive about him? Turning his head to the side, his frown grew bigger as he looked at his nose. It was big. Vecchio men always had big noses. His chin was a bit weak, his hair almost gone, his frame lanky. To his eyes, he was at a total loss as to why she liked him. Unlike Fraser, he wasn't gifted with an athletic body and finely chiseled features. Pulling his swimming trunks open by the waist band, he looked down at himself. Letting them go with a snap, he sighed. God didn't give him much of anything as far as he was concerned.

Leaning closer to the mirror, he bared his teeth. Well...he did have nice teeth and his eyes were green. His eyes were the one things that separated him from most of the other guys in the neighborhood. A dark haired Italian with green eyes was a treat. Most of the other men had brown eyes. Running a hand over his almost bald pate, he frowned. Well...at least his eyes were still green. Waving a hand at himself in disgust, he grabbed his beach towel from the dresser and walked down the hall.

As he entered the living room, he froze. Fraser stood with his back to him. The bullet scar stood out on his pale flesh, a reminder of a time when their lives were almost destroyed. Ray tried to block out the vision of the bullet scar, only to find other scars working their way across Fraser's skin. Marks on the back of his arms, side and legs wove their way around his body. Taking a deep breath, Ray looked away from Fraser, not wanting to think about the pain he had gone through. Fraser may have been blessed with good looks, but his body showed that he wasn't immune to physical trials. *The past. They're all in the past. Just ignore them.*

Ray walked past Fraser and picked up a cooler. "Hey Benny, ya wanna give me a hand loadin the car up?" Fraser smiled at him as he picked up the wicker basket of food, totally oblivious to Ray's discomfort. He was too excited over the prospect of swimming in the ocean for the first time to really notice much of anything.

They walked out into the humid air, the sun beating down on them. Ray squinted. "Did Frannie remember to get you a pair of sunglasses Benny?" "Yes Ray." Placing the things in the car, Ray could see the sweat breaking out on Fraser's skin. The poor guy was going to roast on the beach like a hot dog on a grill.

"Did Frannie put enough lotion on you?" Both men paused as they looked at one another. Fraser coughed and wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow. "Yes...she did." "Good. Ya know you don't wanna get burnt." "That's what she said." Just as they were about to turn and go back into the house, Angelo ran up to them. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes growing wide. He pointed a finger at Fraser's back.

"What happened Uncle Benny?" Fraser turned and Ray closed his eyes. They would never escape Victoria, even if she were dead. "Excuse me, Angelo?" Fraser met Angelo's innocent gaze with his own. "Your back. What happened to ya? You got boo boo marks all over ya." Kneeling down, Fraser smiled at Angelo.

"They're scars from several incidence..." Fraser could tell by Angelo's blank face that he wasn't going to understand him. Rather than waste time explaining how he had been hurt, he decided on an easier way out. "I've been hurt a number of times and they're reminders for me to be more careful in the future."

Angelo shook his head and giggled. "Not uh! Mom said boo boo marks are when ya hurt yourself an the skins all fixed up. Where'd ya get 'em?" Fraser ran a hand through his hair and stood up. Cocking his head to the side, he glanced at Ray as he spoke. "It would take too long for me to explain every scar. They don't hurt anymore and I really don't think about them." "Oh...okay." Angelo grinned and threw his bucket and other beach toys into the car and ran back into the house.

Fraser gave Ray a guilty look before he began to walk back toward the house. "Benny." Fraser stopped walking and sighed. "I'm sorry Ray." Ray walked to where Fraser stood and lightly tapped him on the arm. "It's okay. We're okay...remember?" He gave a Fraser small smile and was relieved when Fraser nodded his head yes. "Come on...let's go and get the rest of the stuff. I don't know about you, but a nice swim would do me good." Fraser smiled at him, his eyes sparkling. The idea of Ray and him getting to swim in the ocean together brought the feeling of excitement back. It would be a bonding of sorts. A way to push the past even further behind them.

 

 

Francesca adjusted the blanket on the sand, setting her sandals down on the corners. Pulling her tank top off, she shimmed out of her shorts. Running a finger under her bathing suit bottom, she pulled them down a bit. Maybe she shouldn't have worn her old red bikini after all. It seemed smaller than she remembered. As two teen aged boys jogged by her, she tucked her head down and smiled. They had gawked at her. She still had it. Lifting her head, she found Fraser staring at her. *Uh oh.*

He didn't move, he didn't say anything, he just stared at her, his eyes going from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes. When he looked back up, his eyes met hers and he shook his head slightly, a small smile graced his lips. She knew he wasn't mad at her for wearing what she had on. If anything she could have sworn he was getting turned on. His cheeks were flushed and he looked like he was having trouble breathing. Or maybe it was just the heat doing that to him.

Holding a hand out to him, she smiled. "You wanna go for a swim Benton?" He reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Ray, we're going swimming, would you care to join us?" Ray looked up and grinned as he threw his flip flops down by the blanket. "Sure." Walking over to the pair, he found his grin turning into a smile. Fraser would deny it, but Ray could tell he wanted to run down to the ocean's edge and dive right in. For Fraser, he was practically dancing in place.

As they walked down to the ocean, the children ran past them, screaming in delight as they hit the water and dove in. Ray looked at Fraser and started chuckling. "Ya know Benny, you can join them." Fraser smiled and shook his head no. He did want to run into the water, but then he wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much. He wanted to take his time and savor the feelings that he was going to experience for the first time. Looking at Francesca, his smile grew bigger. Going into the ocean would be like the first time he and she had sex together. He knew what to expect, but still it was so new and exciting that he would never forget what it was like.

They waded into the water until they were almost waist deep. The sound of the waves, the feeling of the warm water rushing over his skin, the sand shifting beneath his feet. He wanted to howl out his pleasure the way Diefenbaker would howl at the moon. Dipping a hand into the water, he held it out and slowly let it pour back, watching the sun glint off it like liquid silver. Bringing his hand up, he tasted it's saltiness. Francesca was right. There was no comparison between the waters of the Atlantic and the Arctic. One meant certain death, while the other seemed to welcome him into it's warm embrace.

 

 

Francesca watched Fraser as they waded into the water. He was like a child in everything that he did. His mind and heart were wide open, letting every memory and feeling in. This was the man that she would spend the rest of her life with. This was the man that she had waited for. All the pain and loneliness were no more. She tightened her grip on his hand as they waded further out. "Ray...do ya think the undertow's kinda strong today?"

Memories from her childhood sliced through her, causing her heart rate to increase. The feel of the water as it had pulled her under, the way she had fought it with all her strength and still she couldn't reach the surface. Then Ray's hands were around her arms, pulling her up and out of the churning water. She had clung to him, crying and choking, feeling his hands patting her back, his voice soothing away her tears. Ray's voice brought her back to the present.

"Nah...it's not that bad. If it were, they would have posted a warnin sign or somethin." Ray looked back at Francesca and saw the tightness around her eyes. He knew she was still afraid of the ocean. Ever since she had almost drowned as a little girl, she was afraid of it. The furthest she had gone in the water since then was only knee deep. The fact that she was in the water up to her chest proved to Ray that she would do anything for Fraser. She was more than willing to push aside her fears to experience this with him. That was one of thing he loved about his sister. She would do anything for those she loved and cared about, even if it scared her to death.

Grinning, Ray dove into the water and came right back up, sputtering as he shook the water from his face. "Man that feels good! Come on Benny, give it a try." Fraser looked from Ray to Francesca. He could tell that she wasn't very relaxed. "Francesca, we could go back..." "No! I mean...no...I want to swim...with you." She gave him a nervous smile as she extracted her hand from his. Taking a deep breath, she quickly ducked down into the water. Jumping straight up, she pushed her hair from her face, wiping the water away from her eyes.

Giving Fraser what she hoped was a confident smile, she urged him to go under. "It's your turn." Smiling, he let himself fall backwards, enjoying the feel of the water as it enveloped him. The sounds were muffled as he let the water pull and tug at his body. Without even thinking, he opened his eyes, seeing the foam on the surface. He rested under the water, trying to memorize it all. Then there were hands frantically grabbing at him, pulling at him to come up. Standing, he smiled as he shook his head, sending water spraying about. His smile faded as Francesca's frightened eyes met with his.

 

 

Casting a quick glance at Ray, he could see that the two of them were tense. "Is something the matter?" Francesca was the first to speak. "No...it's just that I thought...you were havin trouble...you don't swim and I thought..." Ray rolled his eyes. "She thought you were drowin Benny. Frannie almost did as a kid and she thought you were." Fraser ran a hand over his head slicking his hair back. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. If I would have known, I would have resurfaced immediately."

Francesca's voice was small and she looked down at the water. "No, I'm sorry...it's just that I can't help it. You don't know what it's like to not be able to breath. It sucked me under and I couldn't..." She took a deep breath, feeling both stupid and embarrassed. Fraser placed a hand under her chin, lifted her head and looked her in the eyes. "I 'do' know what it's like. Your lungs feel like their going to explode and you begin to panic." She nodded her head yes. "Francesca, I can swim it's just that I've never swam in the ocean. I've been in ponds, lakes and streams." He looked at Ray and grinned. "I've even been in swimming pools."

Looking back at Francesca he let his hand run down her cheek. "Do you remember the story I told you about how Diefenbaker became deaf? He saved me from drowning. I know exactly what you're talking about, so there's no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about how you feel." "I can't help it. I mean look at you, you're not afraid." "That's because this isn't the same. And you're with me." Smiling he ducked under the water and grabbed Francesca by the calves, lifting her high out of the water. "Benton!"

His smile grew broader as he slightly lowered his hands. Francesca's eyes widened. "Don't! You wouldn't dare!" Ray laughed and backed away from them. "Do it Benny, she needs it." Francesca looked down at Ray and yelled. "No!" Fraser smiled up at her. "You'll be fine." Francesca could feel his hands lowering even more and just as she began to squirm, he threw her high in the air. Her scream rang out as she flew upward. Plummeting back into the water she came up sputtering and splashing.

"Benton Fraser, you come here!" "No, you come and get me." He moved deeper into the water, watching her face for any signs of fear or panic. All he saw was a mischievous smile as she slowly waded toward him. "I'm going to make you pay for that." "In what way? You can't lift me." An arm went around his neck and waist. "But 'I' can dunk you!" Ray pulled him back and both of them went under the water. Fraser twisted away from him and kicked a few strokes. Coming up, he shook the water from his face. He could see Ray a few feet away wiping the water from his eyes, but Francesca was no where to be seen.

He could feel the water moving behind him, just as he turned, he felt hands tugging at his bathing suit. Grabbing the offending hands, he pulled up what he knew had to be Francesca. He hugged her body to his, pinning her arms to her side. "Let me go Benton." "No." Shaking her head, Francesca laughed as Fraser pulled back from the water flying in his face. "Let me go." "No." Leaning forward he went to kiss her. Just as his lips were about to meet hers a large splash of water hit them.

"None of that stuff here! Let's ride the waves!" Turning to Ray, Fraser released Francesca. They both swam over to him. "How do we ride the waves?" "Body surf. You know..." Ray motioned with his hands. Francesca smiled and began walking closer to the shore. "Watch me, Benton." "Like you can body surf Frannie. You haven't even been swimmin in years." "So...I remember how to do it."

As she waded closer to the shoreline, the waves began to hit her harder. The old fear creeped up and for a moment she considered going back to the beach and the safety of the blanket. Casting a glance back over her shoulder, she saw Fraser smiling at her, the look of pure excitement and happiness was plain on his features. Just watching her having fun, was giving him pleasure. Shaking her head, she smiled back at him before adjusting her stance for the waves.

She watched as a large wave begin rolling over the surface toward her. She knew it would be perfect and being as small as she was, it would carry her to the shore, to safety. It wouldn't suck her under and take her back out. *You can do this. You're not gonna drown.* Just as the wave began to break, she jumped up and straightened her body, holding her arms in front of her. She had forgotten how it felt, the water picking you up and throwing you forward. It was like flying. Keeping her body as stiff as she could, she rode with the wave, feeling for the first time in ages unafraid of the water.

Before she knew it, she was hurriedly tucking her legs underneath to stop from being ground into the sand. She wasn't fast enough and went tumbling about, her arms flailing, her ass dragging. By the time she was able to sit up, the water receded, leaving her sputtering and coughing. Looking up, she could see Fraser and Ray watching her. Waving a hand at them, she smiled. Even if her landing wasn't graceful, she had to admit she enjoyed every second of it.

Standing, she also remembered what she hated the most about riding the waves. The sand in her bathing suit was already itching at her and she noticed a rather large deposit of it was in the crotch of her suit. She knew how to solve that problem. Running back into the water, she slowly made her way to Fraser and Ray, making sure that she tugged her suit enough to rid herself of the sand. Reaching them, she smiled broadly. "It's your turn Benton."

 

 

They all began to wade closer to the beach. Looking over his shoulder, Ray called out to Fraser. "Benny when I say go, you do just like Frannie did, okay?" "Yes Ray." Several waves passed them by. "Ray, why are we waiting?" "Benny, Benny, Benny...you have to get the right one." Looking back again, Ray grinned. "And the wait is over." A rather large wave was coming their way. Fraser could see a ship in the distance that was probably the cause of it. "Benton..."

Fraser looked toward Francesca who was eying the wave with apprehension. Pushing his way through the water, he grabbed her hand. "Let's go in together." He could feel her grip tighten around his fingers, a nervous smile appeared on her face. "Okay...together." Ray had quickly moved further away from them. He didn't want to take the chance of Francesca ruining a great ride by chickening out or hitting him.

"Okay Benton...here it comes..." Francesca held on tightly to Fraser as they both pushed off. She could feel the undercurrent sucking at her body, trying to pull her under. She wouldn't let it get her this time. There was no way in hell she was going to let it do that to her again. Once in a lifetime was enough. Straightening her body, she concentrated on staying even with Fraser. They were rushing toward the shore faster than she had anticipated. Fraser suddenly yelled out and she jerked in surprise. Her hand yanked away from his and she found herself tumbling head over heals once again.

 

 

As soon as they pushed off, Fraser could feel it. The strength and power of the ocean tugged at him, trying to pull him under. It was amazing that they even considered doing something like this. Back home, the elements could kill you without a moments notice and he was certain that the same laws held true here too. It still couldn't keep him away from it though. The feeling of the surf picking him up and hurtling him forward reminded him of sledding down a mountain of ice and snow. He couldn't help it when he yelled out his pleasure. He hadn't felt this free in ages and it made him feel more alive than he had in years.

He felt Francesca's hand pulled away from him and then the world began to spin. Hitting the sandy bottom he was tossed and turned, the churning water almost crushing the breath from him. Just when he thought he couldn't take any more, he was plopped unceremoniously on the sand, the water running past him, making swift currents around his stranded body. Pushing himself up, he knelt, felling small shells cutting into his knees. Looking about he saw Francesca. His mouth dropped open in surprise. He wondered if she knew.

 

 

The surf deposited Francesca on her ass with a thump, knocking the remaining breath from her. Coughing and gagging, she reached a hand up and pulled a large piece of sea weed from her hair. Trying to get her bearings, she looked around. She saw several people staring at her. Then she heard a low whistle. As she went to stand, Angelo splashed through the surf and held a red object out to her. "Ya lost this Aunt Frannie." Taking it from his hand, she held the piece of cloth before her. It quickly dawned on her what it was. Frantically looking around, she spotted Fraser who stared at her open mouthed. She then saw Ray who was bent over double laughing his ass off as he pointed at her.

She crossed her arms around her chest, jumped up and ran to the blanket on the beach. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around herself and glared back at Ray. Her head jerked around in surprise as she heard muffled laughter coming from her mother who was sitting in a beach chair reading a magazine. "Ma! It's not funny! Everyone saw me!" Mrs. Vecchio looked at her and shook her head yes. "They saw more of you than was needed." She giggled and waved the magazine like a fan. "I have not seen something like that since your cousin Anthony lost his suit when he was ten." Francesca could feel her face growing red. "But I'm not ten!"

Ray and Fraser came walking up to the blanket. Fraser's face was red. She couldn't tell if he was sunburned already or if he was embarrassed. Ray was still laughing. "Oh man Frannie, that was great! The whole beach saw you!" "Shut up Ray!" Fraser quietly picked up a towel and stood so that he made a small shield for her. "Thank you Benton." She quickly tied her top back on and then stood. "It's not funny Ray." "Yeah it is." Before Ray could react Francesca stepped forward and yanked his swimsuit down. Ray yelled and struggled to pull the wet material back up. "Jesus, Frannie, what in the hell is the matter with you?!"

Ray could hear several woman close by whistle at him. One young blonde waved at him while she yelled. "Nice butt!" He could feel his face growing hot. Glaring at Francesca, he lowered his voice. "Don't you ever embarrass me like that again." "Why not Ray? It was 'funny'." He took a step forward to push her, but instead of his hands making contact with Francesca, they hit Fraser in the chest as he jumped in front of her. "That's enough." Francesca looked around Fraser and stuck her tongue out at Ray.

"Francesca, I said enough." "What?" "You're both causing...distractions to the rest of the people on the beach. It's not proper." "Oh please. Like they haven't seen Ray's butt before." Fraser was surprised when he heard muffled giggles coming from Mrs. Vecchio. She looked up at him and shrugged. "They are still children and always will be. That is why I have to be here." He smiled down at her as he took Francesca by the hand, hoping to deflect any more arguing.

"Can we go back and ride some more waves?" "I don't know Benton." "I'll go Benny if little Miss Chicken won't." "I'm not chicken, I rode that wave just like you did!" "No you didn't!" Ray's voice became smug. "I didn't end up on my ass with no suit on. 'I' landed on my feet." Smiling, he turned and began jogging back to the water. Looking back, he could see that Francesca was seething mad at him. He also saw the blonde girl still staring at him. Things weren't all that bad after all. He must have something if a blonde half his age found him attractive.

 

 

After riding the waves and swimming in the ocean for over an hour, Francesca was ready to go back and lay on the blanket. She hadn't had this much fun at the beach ever, but she was getting tired. Looking over at Fraser, she could tell that he could have stayed in the water all day, but she knew with his pale skin he was due for another dose of sunscreen. Kicking her way over to him, she took his hand and began pulling him toward the shore. She felt him dig in his heels and pull her back.

"We have to go in Benton." "You can go in, I'm fine. I want to swim some more." "No, you need to go in, I have to put more sunscreen on you." "Francesca, I'm fine." Fraser cast a quick look at his shoulders. "I'm not coloring at all." "Not now you aren't, but you will if I don't reapply the stuff." She tugged at his hand and he didn't move. "Francesca, you're being ridiculous." Releasing his hand she stared up at him.

"Do you remember the little talk we had about Florida and the sun?" "Yes." "Do you remember agreeing to listen to me because I've been here before and you haven't." She saw him give her a slightly guilty look, but it was mingled with stubborn defiance. "Yes, I do remember, but I believe I can tell if I need to go in or not. I haven't colored at all and I'm not tired." "Look, I'm not going to spend the rest of this vacation listening to you whine and cry when you're as red as a lobster. You either come in now or I'll..." "You'll what?"

They looked at each other, both feeling that they were right. Francesca knew that Fraser could maybe stay in the water for another hour...maybe, but she didn't want to take any chances. His skin was so different than anyone else in the family. She had seen Ray get burnt before and he had a darker olive tone. The idea of see Fraser's skin blister and peel didn't seem like such a good idea. Smiling, she narrowed her eyes.

"If Ma says you can stay in the water then you can. If she says you have to let me put more sunscreen on you, then that's what we'll do. Agreed?" He looked at her and then to the beach where Mrs. Vecchio was now sitting under an umbrella. No matter what, he was going to have to leave the water. "Fine. I'll let you put more sunscreen on me, but then I'm coming back into the water." "Okay. Come on."

They waded out of the water and approached the blanket, neither one of them talking. Francesca could feel the air of irritation around Fraser. He hated it when she manipulated him like this, but she also knew he'd forget about it as soon as he was back in the water. Motioning for him to sit, she began to rub sunscreen over his chest while he did the front of his arms and legs. "Lay down." "I can stand." "Nah, lay down, it's easier." With a sigh, Fraser stretched out on the blanket, resting his face on his arms. Closing his eyes, he listened to the waves and the seagulls as Francesca rubbed the lotion over his back.

Francesca slowly rubbed the lotion over his back, letting her fingers trace the myriad of scars crisscrossing his skin. Feeling a little guilty for having nagged Fraser to come out of the water, she began to gently massage his neck and back, feeling him relax under her touch. By the time she had coated his entire body with lotion, her fingers felt stiff. Shaking her hands out, she opened her mouth to tell Fraser that he could get up, but Mrs. Vecchio caught her eye. She waved a hand at her to be quiet and motioned at Fraser.

Moving around on the blanket, Francesca peered at his tucked down face. She smothered a giggle and looked back at her mother. Keeping as quiet as possible she stood and took the few steps over to her and whispered. "He's out like a light and he said he wasn't tired." Mrs. Vecchio whispered back. "Let him sleep, but make sure he doesn't burn. Wake him up in a half hour." Nodding her head yes, Francesca grabbed a magazine from her mothers basket and slowly stretched out beside him. Laying on her side, she watched him sleep for a few minutes before losing herself in an article on nail care.

 

 

Ray splashed about in the ocean with Maria, Tony and the children, finding himself getting tired. *Man, I really need to get in shape!* "Hey guys, I'm gonna go in and get a snack. Anyone else gonna come in?" He got five replies of yes. He wasn't the only one who was tired. The children ran up to the blankets and as Ray approached them, he could see Mrs. Vecchio motioning for them to be quiet. When he reached where they all were he grinned. Fraser was dead to the world. Francesca grinned up at him and talked in a low voice. "And he said he wasn't tired."

Grabbing a sandwich and some punch, Ray sat down on his blanket, watching Fraser as he slept. There were people running all around, screams of laughter and seagulls crying out, but he slept through it all. Only someone who felt safe would be able to block out all of this noise and sleep like this. As he ate his sandwich, he looked around. He spotted the blonde laying on her towel. Her eyes locked with his and she smiled. He smiled back and then he jerked his gaze away from her. *Crap.* His heart beat heavily in his chest and he felt a twinge of panic. It looked like the girl was going to come over.

Suddenly a shadow loomed over him and he looked up. She was perfect. Young, blonde, thin and tan and she was smiling down at him. He had a perfect view of her pert breasts tightly encased in a bikini half the size Frannie's which meant she was wearing practically nothing at all.

"Hi, my name's Heather." He felt the bit of food in his mouth turn into sand. Choking it down he cleared his throat. "Uh...yeah...um...my name's Ray...Ray Vecchio." He stared up at her feeling his breath coming in short pants. He felt panicky. Why in the hell didn't he get up and hit on her? Why wouldn't his legs stand up? In a blink of an eye he knew why. Thatcher. As he stared up at the young blonde, all he could think of was how Thatcher would feel. How he would feel if she were talking to another man? Heather's smooth lilting voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I was wondering...would you maybe like to go and get a drink or something?" Ray could feel the eyes of everyone but Fraser boring into his back. There was no way in hell he could say yes and there was no way in hell he would ever do anything to ruin what he had with Thatcher. Maybe if he had come down here a month ago and things hadn't gotten so involved with her, he might have, but the idea of saying yes almost felt like he would be cheating on...his wife? "Uh...I can't. Thanks for askin, but I'm kinda involved."

Heather raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't see anyone here with you." "She couldn't get away from her job." She smiled a dazzling white smile at him and he felt his heart pounding again. "I know if you were my boyfriend, I'd blow off work to come down here with you." "She's kinda got an important job. She's the boss." Heather smiled again. "Are you sure you can't just go out for a drink or something? It's not like I'm asking you out on a date or anything." "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for askin though." "Okay...it's a shame though. You're cute." With another blinding smile, she turned away, went back to her blanket and gathered her things. Taking one last look at Ray, she waved at him and walked off the beach.

He sat and stared at her as she walked off the beach. Was he an idiot? He just let a beautiful woman...hell, it was more of a girl. She looked like she was maybe twenty if that...he let her walk away from him. He knew that she was offering him more than a drink. He could feel it in his bones. Every instinct in him knew that he could have had anything he wanted from her. Why? Why now? Why didn't someone like that offer them self to him before? And why in the hell did he even think about Thatcher as being his wife? They weren't even an official couple to most of the people they knew.

Deep in his heart he knew why. He thought of Thatcher as his missing half. Someone that he did want to be with for the rest of his life. Someone to share things with, to grow old with. He wasn't about to throw all of that away for a meaningless roll in the hay with a young, beautiful, big chested blonde. With a sigh, he turned back around keeping his eyes cast downward. He didn't want to meet any of the accusing stares from his family. Unfortunately for him, his eyes locked with piecing blue ones and they didn't look very happy.

 

 

Taking a bite out of his sandwich, Ray looked calmly back at Fraser. He didn't do anything wrong. The blonde had approached him and he had said no. What more did he want? Fraser continued to look at Ray like he was seeing right through him. Dropping the half eaten sandwich on his blanket, Ray yelled. "What?! What did I do?!" Sitting up, Fraser ignored him and stretched, cracking his neck. He then jerked one shoulder forward resulting in a loud pop that made Ray jump. Looking back at Ray, he rested his chin on his knees. "I don't know Ray, you tell me."

"I didn't do nothin. She came over here and asked me to go and get a drink or somethin. I said no, end of story." Fraser looked calmly at him, then he stood, holding his hand out to Francesca. Pulling her up, he hugged her to his body. "Would you care to go swimming Ray?" "Huh?" "Swimming. Do you want to go back in the water?" Ray blinked in confusion. What in the hell was Fraser trying to do to him? "Uh...no...I want to finish my sandwich." Nodding his head yes, Fraser took Francesca by the hand and they walked toward the ocean.

Picking his sandwich up, Ray watched them as they entered the water. He could tell that they were deep in discussion and he was the main topic. He hadn't encouraged the blonde had he? All he did was smile at her. That wasn't flirting was it? Slowly chewing, he went over the entire incident in his mind like it was a case he was working on. Maybe he shouldn't have smiled at her. Maybe he should have just turned his back to her and none of this would have happened. A cold chill ran down his back. What if Francesca or Fraser told Thatcher about the blonde? *Crap.*

As they walked down to the waters edge, Francesca squeezed Fraser's hand. "You have Ray scared to death." "I didn't do anything that would frighten him." "I feel kinda bad. I mean at first I was mad that he was talkin to that hussy, but he did tell her no. It wasn't like he said yes and then changed his mind." "I know...I just want him to think long and hard about the decisions he makes down here. I don't know if he realizes it, but Meg cares deeply about him." Francesca stopped wading in the water and grinned up at him. "How do you know?"

Fraser chewed on his lower lip and smiled down at Francesca. "It's...the way she's been acting lately. She's more relaxed. Happier. Whenever Ray comes to the consulate, she seems to...glow." "Glow?" "Yes. And when he leaves, she's rather pleasant to deal with. Even Ren has mentioned to me that he's glad that Ray and she are involved. She hasn't been as demanding of him as of late." "She's bein nice to Ren too? Man, she's in love!" Francesca smiled up at Fraser and giggled. "Who'd have thought that you and I could have gotten them this far in such a short time? This is great!"

"Time will tell Francesca. Let's see how things are when we get back home. I think that maybe Ray won't make fun of us any more for having moved our relationship forward so quickly. I believe he's about to do the same." Her eyes widened and she grabbed him by the hand as she pulled him out deeper into the water. Her voice grew more excited as she talked. "Do you think Ray's gonna ask Meg to marry him?" "I don't know if he's ready for that, but I think they will...discuss it." Jumping up, Francesca grabbed Fraser around the neck and kissed him. With this bit of information she would have a ton of planning to do when they got home.

 

 

The rest of the day at the beach went by without anyone mentioning the blonde to Ray. It was as if she had never approached him. It was weird and it made Ray nervous. By the time they went back to the house, he was wound tighter than a spring. When they went out to eat, he kept waiting for Francesca to bring it up, but she didn't. When they were laying around watching the television before bed, no one said anything. It wasn't normal for his family to not torment him over something like this.

By the time he crawled into bed, Ray was exhausted. Between the sun, swimming and the tension he had been under, he felt like he was about to pass out. Laying down on the bed, he closed his eyes and sighed. The air conditioners hum soothed his nerves and he felt himself slowly drifting off. His eyes snapped back open as he heard Francesca's voice. *No God, please no.* He had forgotten about how thin the walls were. He cringed as he heard her giggle. Then her soft moans began. The sound of the bed creaking in the other room made him want to gag. *Freakin rabbits!* He sat up in shear terror when he heard Fraser speaking. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

 

 

"Francesca...could we...could I...have you ever had anal sex before?" "What?!" "Sssh! Don't be so loud Francesca, someone might hear you." "Did you just ask me to have anal sex?" They looked at one another not moving. Fraser and Francesca had been in the middle of making love and when he proposed the idea, they had both stopped moving, locked in their tight embrace. She could feel him throbbing within her, the excitement plainly written on his face. "You want to do that?" "Yes." "Why?!"

"Francesca...not so loud." Licking his lower lip, he rocked against her, watching her eyes slowly close. Moving in a gentle rhythm, he smiled down at her. "I want to...it's very pleasurable." Pushing her head back against the pillow, Francesca moaned. "So's this..." "Please Francesca." "I don't know Benton...exit only." "Excuse me?" He stopped moving into her and gave her a quizzical look. "Exit only...one thing only goes out." His face colored slightly, but he didn't give up. "Please Francesca...I promise I won't hurt you. We'll do this slowly." Leaning down he nibbled at her neck and in his best little boy voice he begged her. "Please Francesca?"

 

 

Ray sat clutching his pillow, not believing what his ears were hearing. Fraser was begging his sister...begging her to have anal sex! Fraser and the idea of him doing anal sex just didn't seem to mesh. Fraser was too nice. He was too goody goody for Ray to envision him even attempting something like that. Then Ray remembered his talk with Fraser when they had gone to the mall to buy the wedding rings.

Fraser had admitted to him that he had at one time been overly active in the sex department. Frannie had no idea what she was getting into when she had married Fraser. Or had she? When Francesca answered Fraser, Ray could hear them as plan as day. Every word, every moments, every sound seemed amplified. It didn't hurt that he had unconsciously leaned toward the wall and was almost laying his ear to it. The idea of Fraser being a sexual pervert of sorts both appalled and fascinated Ray.

 

 

Fraser almost jumped for joy when he heard Francesca's breathy reply. "Yes..." Gripping the sheets above her head, he began to move into her, smiling as her small hands clutched his arms, begging him to stop. He knew if he were going to last in his attempt to have her in that way, he'd have to cum now or he'd ruin it the moment he touched her again. Ignoring her cries and pleas to stop, he continued his thrusts, enjoying the sounds of her moans of pleasure. When she arched her back and shoved her hips into him, he cried out in his own release.

Gently pulling away from her, he moved away and dug through the small dresser by the bed. He grew frustrated at the amount of things she had shoved into the drawer. When he found a tube of plain unflavored lube, he snatched it up and sat back, watching her chest rise and fall as she tried to calm down. "Benton?" He gave her a small smile. "Don't worry Francesca...I won't hurt you. If I do, we'll stop."

He saw a look of apprehension flicker over her face as he squeezed a large amount of the lube on his fingers. "It won't hurt." Leaning over her, he kissed her mouth and them moved down to her neck. When he felt the tension leave her body, he urged her to roll over on to her stomach. "Why?" Nibbling her ear, he chuckled. "Because it's easier that way." She slowly rolled over and cast him a look over her shoulder.

"You said this won't hurt." As he leaned over her, he placed light kisses on her neck, working his way down her back. "It won't...I promise." He let his kisses trail further down until he kissed her ass. Spreading her legs, he felt her tense up again. "I'm not going to do anything Francesca. Just relax." Settling between her legs, he kissed her center, licking at her softly. When she had totally relaxed and had begun to squirm in delight at his touch, he spread the cheeks of her ass and trailed his tongue along her cleft. He had expected her to react, but not in this way. She yelped loudly and jumped up, staring at him in shock.

"You licked my...my...what is wrong with you?!" Moving into a kneeling position, he stared back at her, his voice calm. "You've never done this." Her words came out in a rapid fire procession of sputters and glares. "No, I do it all the time! What did you think, I'm some kinky weirdo or somethin? It's...it's gross Benton. Even Gino never...no one has 'ever' asked me to do...that!" She gestured wildly with her hands and pointed at his erection. "You expect that thing to fit in me? It's too big! I'll be split in half!"

 

 

Ray almost fell off the bed when he heard Francesca yell out and then she began talking to Fraser, her voice growing louder with each word. He bit into the pillow in his hands, trying to not laugh out loud. Yes it was gross. Yes it irked the hell out of him to get stuck listening to them, but the idea of his sister pointing and yelling at Fraser and the topic they were discussing was too much. Flopping back on the bed, Ray closed his eyes and concentrated on what they were saying to one another. If he wasn't going to get any sleep, he might as well get himself some ammunition to assure that he would in the future nights he'd spend here.

 

 

"Francesca, please lower your voice." "You can't possibly expect me to believe that thing will fit in me. It's going to hurt like hell!" Moving toward her, he cautiously wrapped his arms around her. "Francesca...have I ever hurt you? Haven't I always made sure that what ever we have done together, you've only gained pleasure from it?" He could feel her stiff body loosen slightly, her voice muffled against his chest. "Yeah." "Why would this be any different?" She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, her face scrunching up in a distasteful grimace. "You licked my butt."

Fraser chuckled lightly and held her tighter. "Didn't you get a shower today?" "Yeah." "And do you...do you make sure you're clean...everywhere?" "Well...yeah!" "Then why should it disgust you for me to touch or lick you there?" "It's nasty." "No it's not." While he talked, he slowly edged his hand down between her legs and rubbed softly at her. Sliding a finger into her heat, he kissed her. When her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, he added another finger and began to moves them in and out of her.

"That feels good." Her voice was once again a gentle whisper as she placed kissed on his chest. Pulling his fingers out, he moved his hand further back and began to gently press one against her anus. He felt her tense up. Tightening his hold on her again, he kissed her neck. "Relax Francesca." His movements were agonizingly slowly as he edged his finger into her and drew it back out. It seemed to take forever before he finally was able to get her to relax to the point where his entire finger was inserted in her.

As he continued to kiss her, suckling at her tongue, he began to slowly pumped his hand against her, watching her face for any signs of discomfort. When she showed none, he lowered them to the bed, turning her away from him, he kissed her back and neck as he let a second finger join the first. His erection throbbed painfully as he tried to prepare her. She was going to let him do this. Something different and new with her. Something he had only done once before with another woman that he loved.

Leaning away from her, he took the tube of lube and applied an overly generous amount to his erection, smoothing it all over. Adding more to his fingers, he pushed them back into her. He couldn't tell if she was enjoying herself or not. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily, but she hadn't said whether or not it was pleasurable to her. He knew that without a doubt she would tell him if it wasn't, so he pressed on.

Withdrawing his fingers he moved against her, pressing his erection against her ass, running his hands down her thighs. Positioning the tip of his penis against her tight opening, he gently pressed himself against her. His body was shaking in anticipation of what was to come. It took all his control to slow down. As he felt himself slip into her a fraction, he let out a soft sigh. Pressing further into her tightness, he rested, letting her get use to his size.

Looking down at her body, he could see she was tensing up, he could feel it as well. Leaning over her back, he kissed shoulder and whispered to her. "Shhh...it will be all right. I won't hurt you, Francesca." Pressing even further, he closed his eyes. He could feel it. He was losing control of himself. He was going to ruin everything by cumming before they had even done anything.

Pulling back, he edged back into her, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Francesca...I can't...I can't..." Pulling sharply out of her, he spilled his seed over her ass and back, groaning loudly. When his body had stopped it's convulsing, he looked down, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry Francesca...I couldn't...I'm sorry." When she turned on her side, she had a look of confusion and relief on her face.

She bit her lower lip and held a hand out to him. Shaking his head no, he grabbed some tissues from the dresser and cleaned her off before doing the same to himself, before laying beside her. She cuddled up to him and sighed. "Can I be honest with you Benton?" Looking at her, he frowned. "You always have been." "I'm kinda...I'm glad you couldn't...I didn't...I didn't like it." She leaned close to his ear and whispered. "It felt like I had to go to the bathroom if you know what I mean."

He gave found himself snickering and blushing at the same time. She wasn't angry at him, she was relieved. "You're not disappointed at all?" "Nah...and I hope you don't get mad or anything, but could we not...I don't want to do that again." Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head. "We won't then." Snuggling closer together, they continued to talk in light whispers of their plans for the next day.

 

 

Ray lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. Fraser and Francesca had stopped talking all together over an hour ago, but he still couldn't fall asleep. Having listened to the two of them coupling and then the rest of their sexual hijinx had left his nerves on edge. He found himself thinking of Thatcher. What did she like? Would she like anal sex? Had she ever done something like that before? Then he began to worry. She had probably been with men from all over the world who knew all sorts of weird sexual things. What if what they did was boring? Then he thought back to the few times they had been together. She sure didn't act bored then.

He slowly found himself relaxing and then he drifted off into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, kicking his covers off. He moaned and talked in his sleep flinging his body about the bed like a contortionist. He may have finally gotten to sleep, but it wasn't a restful sleep. He was going to be one tired cranky Italian come morning and Fraser and Francesca were going to pay for it.

 

 

As Ray woke up, he kept his eyes tightly shut. His head pounded and he felt like shit. Three nights of hardly any sleep was not conducive to him being a happy person. As he tried to move, he cursed under his breath. His arms were under the pillow that his head rested on and they were asleep. Pulling himself up by pushing down on his shoulders, he was able to work his way into a sitting position. As the blood slowly flowed back into his numb limbs, he gritted his teeth as they tingled. The sensation of pins and needles in his arms told him in no uncertain terms that he shouldn't sleep on his stomach any more.

When the feeling came back in his hands, he grabbed his toiletries and headed for the bathroom. The door was shut and the fan was on. He stood silently waiting for the person to come out. After five minutes, he knocked on the door. If he had been standing in the hall all this time because some idiot had shut the door, he was going to kill someone. Tony's voice called back from the other side. "What'd ya want, I'm busy!"

Ray closed his eyes and counted to ten. *Jesus Christ!* "How long are you gonna be in there? In need to get my shower." "Hey...as long as it takes. That cheese burrito I had for dinner is tearin me up!" "Aw come on Tony give us a break, there's only one bathroom in here!" "Sorry, but when I gotta go, I gotta go." "Then open the window and don't forget to spray!" Stalking back to his room, Ray threw his things on the bed and sat down. Running a hand over his head, he stared at his feet. This wasn't a vacation, it was a test. It was God testing him. Seeing how much crap he could take before freaking out.

Pushing away from the bed, he stalked back down the hall and headed for the kitchen. Maria and Mrs. Vecchio were preparing the food basket for the beach. Looking around, he noticed that Fraser and Francesca were no where in sight. "Where's Benny an Frannie?" Maria gave him a funny look. "Man you look like something the cat dragged in." "Very funny. Where're they at?" Maria smiled as she wrapped a sandwich in waxed paper. "They were up hours ago. They went for a jog on the beach." "They went jogging?" "Yeah. I don't know where they get the energy from. Isn't it cute though?" "Yeah...it's cute."

Walking around the kitchen, he looked through the cabinets for his cereal. "Ma...where's my Toasted Oats?" "They are all gone. Frannie said she would buy you another box today." Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a box of Fruity Pebbles. As he poured the cereal in the bowl, he frowned. He hated sugar coated kiddie cereals, plus just looking at the bright happy colors made him want to throw up. When he looked for the milk, all he found was the regular kind. "Ma...the skim milk?" "Frannie said she would buy some more of that too."

He sat at the table, shoving the cereal down. Without hardly chewing, he swallowed it, trying not to gag. He could feel his stomach twisting in a knot. He felt like shit, he was eating shit and it was all because of Fraser and Francesca. They kept him awake, they ate his cereal, they drank his milk. He had enough of it. When they came back from their morning frolic on the beach he was going to rip them both new asses.

Pushing the bowl away, he stood. At the same time, Tony came lumbering down the hall. The moment he saw Ray, he smiled broadly. "The throne room is all yours Ray." "Oh boy Tony, thanks so much." Walking out of the kitchen, he sniffed. The closer he got to the bathroom, the worse the smell became. Holding his breath, he walked into the bathroom. Tony had left skids in the toilet and the window was closed. Struggling to not breath, Ray pried the window open and ran from the room. He screamed down the hall. "You gross son of a bitch!" He could hear Tony's snickers all the way from the kitchen.

Stomping back to his bedroom, he grabbed his things. Just as he began to walk down the hall, Tony Jr. ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. His voice yelled out from the other side. "Dad, you're gross!" Ray grabbed the handle of the bathroom door jerking at it as he yelled. "It was my turn Tony, get out!" "Sorry Uncle Ray, but I gotta go. Those burritos were a killer!" *Damn it!* He stalked down the hall and into the living room. The front door opened and Fraser and Francesca walked in. Fraser looked happy as hell and greeted Ray with a broad smile. "Good morning Ray." Then all hell broke loose.

 

 

Ray stared at Fraser not believing that he had the gall to say good morning. All the anger and irritation spilled out like flood waters through a broken dam. "Good morning? No it's 'not' a good morning! I haven't been able to get any sleep for the past two nights because of you and Frannie goin at it like dogs in heat. You eat my cereal leavin me nothin but that crap sugar stuff and you drink all my milk. No it's 'not' a good morning!"

Fraser's smile had disappeared the moment Ray began yelling at him. His face went from a bright shade of red to pale white as he listened to Ray's voice rise from low anger to yelling at the top of his lungs. He didn't know what to say, but he managed a soft reply. "You...heard us?"

"Did I hear you? No, I like staying up all night staring at the ceiling for no reason what so ever. Of course I heard you! You're a pig you know that? A stinkin disgustin pig!" Francesca stepped forward and yelled angrily at Ray. "You listened to us?" "Did I have a choice?!" "Yes you did you jerk, you could have told us!" "Like that would have stopped you!" Mrs. Vecchio's sharp stern voice cut in. "Raymundo! Francesca! Enough!"

Walking between the two, she glared at them both. "This is not the place to discuss such matters." She nodded in the direction of Angelo who sat on the sofa staring at them with wide eyes. Ray waved a hand at him. "I don't care Ma, I'm tired of puttin up with this crap." "That is enough!" Ray flinched as Mrs. Vecchio yelled. Turning to Angelo, she nodded her head toward the back door. "Angelo could you please go outside and play with your sister. She is at the swings." Angelo jumped up and ran from the house, slamming the door in his haste to get out.

Mrs. Vecchio looked toward Maria and Tony who were watching in stunned silence. "Where is little Tony?" Maria spoke cautiously. "He's in the bathroom." Pursing her lips, Mrs. Vecchio nodded at Maria and Tony. "Could you please give us a few moments." Maria and Tony quickly left the room and walked down the hall. Their voices could be heard talking softly through the bathroom door to Tony, Jr. Then the sound of their bedroom door closing reached the living room.

Ray stood with his arms crossed, still seething mad, but some of that anger faded as he looked at Fraser. He stood stiff as a board, his hands held in tight fists by his side, his face downcast. He could feel a thread of guilt weaving it's way into his anger, but it disappeared the moment Mrs. Vecchio began speaking.

"Why do you do this? Why do you have so much anger in you? You should be happy that Frannie and Benton love one another." "Oh yeah, I'm real happy. Fine...they love each other, but do I havfta hear it 'every single night'? Do you know what I've had to hear? Huh? Do you wanna know what they do, cause I sure didn't!" "You should have said something. You could have done what Frannie suggested." "Ma...you know that wouldn't work, they'd be back at each other the next night."

Ray saw his mother's face darken and she glanced at Francesca and Fraser. Francesca had opened her mouth, but quickly shut it when she saw the look. It was the look she had gotten as a child, that if she didn't be quiet, a quick slap to the face would be coming. "Benton, if Ray would have made a request, would you have ignored it?" Fraser kept his head down, his voice a whisper. "No." She turned back to Ray. "You do not think, you only demand. You are your father's son." "Ma that's not fair." "Fair? And you embarrassing your sister and brother are fair? No...you have become too selfish."

Turning her back on Ray, she looked calmly at Francesca and Fraser. "The matter is resolved. You will be replace his cereal and milk as you had said you would and as for the other matter...you will be more discreet." "Yes Ma." Francesca took Fraser by the hand pulling him with her as she pushed past Ray, glaring at him as they went out of the room and down the hall. Ray watched them leave the room and then he heard their bedroom door slam shut. He cringed inwardly as he realized that he was now alone with his mother.

Sighing, he turned to look at her, expecting to see anger and irritation. He saw nothing. "They will not keep you awake any longer. You will get your food. They will not bother you. Is that what you wanted?" "Did I ask for too much? This is my vacation too ya know. I haven't been able to sleep at all because of them." Mrs. Vecchio shook her head, her face now showing her displeasure. "I hope that Benton forgives you."

Ray blinked in confusion. "What? He forgives me? He's the one keepin me up, not the other way around." "He would have not said anything to you, especially something that would have embarrassed you so. Haven't you noticed him? Haven't you seen him open up more each day? That is gone and it will be all because of you." "He'll get over it, he always does. He sulks worse than a little kid. He needs to grow up and start thinkin about other people."

Mrs. Vecchio shook her head and frowned. "He does think about you. Too much. You are his best friend. You are his brother. As Frannie has said before, you are all he has. Even with the rest of us being family now, he still does not see us the way in which he sees you. Ever word you say in anger to him cuts deep. Every action is painful. You have done more than embarrass him, you have hurt his soul." Ray rolled his eyes and Mrs. Vecchio stared blankly at him before she walked over to the kitchen and began preparing more sandwiches. "You will see Raymondo. You have done much damage today with your words. Benton does not have to bleed to be wounded."

 

 

Ray was still angry. Why did everyone always side with Fraser? Why didn't anyone ever see things from his point of view? He knew why. Fraser hadn't been around all that long to be treated like the rest of the family. He also carried that air of innocence and hurt about him like a blanket. All he had to do is look at someone and he could make them feel guilty. Well, that big eyed Mountie look wasn't going to work this time. If Fraser wanted to feel offended and be upset, then that was his problem. He had come on this vacation to relax, not be driven nuts by his sister and Fraser humping all night long.

Stepping out of the house, he began walking. As he neared the waters edge, he could feel it. The guilt. The regret for yelling at Fraser. *I am not gonna feel guilty. I didn't do nothin wrong!* As he watched the surf roll in and out, he kept seeing Fraser's face as he smiled, the pure joy at being in the water. Turning away from the ocean, Ray began walking back to the house. The closer he got to the house, the worse he felt. Now all he could picture was the look of abject horror and embarrassment on Fraser's face as he yelled at him. "Damn it!"

He stopped and stared at the house. Running a hand over his head, he sighed. Maybe he had been a little too rough. Maybe he should have tried asking Francesca and him to keep it down a bit. The guilt pooled itself in the pit of his stomach, making him feel like he was going to throw up. All he could picture was Fraser refusing to talk or do anything the rest of the trip. He'd sit in his room so he wouldn't cause any more problems. He'd hide within himself. *Crap.*

Ray knew what he had to do. He wouldn't really apologize because he still felt that he was right on some of the points, but he wanted to smooth things over some how. As he walked up to the door, Angelo came running around the side of the house. He skidded to a stop and gave Ray a wary look. "What's wrong Angelo?" "Are you gonna yell at me too?" "Yell at you? Why would I yell at you?" One of Angelo's hands nervously twisted at the material of his shorts. "You yelled at Uncle Benny for eatin your cereal an milk...I had some too."

Ray felt stupid. He felt guilty. What a vacation. Kneeling down he held his arms out to Angelo. "Come here." Angelo walked cautiously over to him and Ray picked him up, looking him in the eye. "No, I'm not gonna yell at you for eatin the cereal." "Oh." Angelo gave him a sad look. "Do you hate Uncle Benny now?" Closing his eyes, Ray sighed. Leave it to kids to say what was on their mind. "No, I don't hate Benny, I'm just...I haven't been sleeping and I don't feel good. I kinda took it out on him. I'm sorry."

Angelo hugged Ray, relieving some of the tension and guilt he was feeling. "That's okay Uncle Ray. If you tell Uncle Benny you're sorry, he'll feel better too." "Yeah, I guess so." Before setting him down, Ray hugged Angelo tightly. "Angelo, just because I might yell at you, it doesn't mean I hate you...okay?" "Okay." Setting Angelo down, he gave him a light swat on the butt. Angelo grinned up at him and ran into the house. Standing on the deck, Ray took a deep breath. Now all he had to do is go and talk to Fraser and straighten every thing out.

 

 

"Benton...come on. We'll take a walk and then we can go swimming with the kids." Fraser sat on the end of the bed, his head tucked down, his whole posture defeated. "No thank you Francesca. I'll stay here. I don't want to cause any more trouble." She rolled her eyes. "Look...just because Ray has to be an ass, it doesn't mean you have to lock yourself up in here. This is our honeymoon. I want to spend all my time with you. It won't be much fun if all we do is sit in here." "You can go to the beach. I'll see you when you get back."

Kneeling at his feet, Francesca tried to look into his face, but he turned it away. Taking a hand, she rested it on his cheek and forced him to look at her. She felt like crying. This was supposed to be the best time of their life and here he was sitting, looking like something inside of him had died. All the joy and light that had been in him a few minutes ago was gone. She could see that he was fighting back tears. "Benton...you can't be perfect. How did you know he could hear us? How could we have known if he hadn't told us?" Fraser shook his head no. "I should have known. Francesca...he 'heard' us. Everything we've done or said..." "So he'll get over it. He got over seeing us actually do it so I'm sure he'll get over hearing us." She smiled up at him and took his hands in hers, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"You let Ray hurt you too much. I know you said you don't like doing it, but you have got to start standing up to him. When he yells at you, yell back. If you can't yell, at least tell him to shut up. That's what I do." His lips twitched slightly at the corners. "Come on...go to the beach with us. I want to ride the waves again, but I'm not going to do it unless you're with me." "Francesca..." "Benton..." She smiled again as Fraser shook his head in exasperation. "So are you gonna get changed and come with me?" Giving her a small smile, he squeezed her hands. "Yes...I wouldn't want you to go in the ocean alone. It might swallow you up and I'd never see you again."

Standing she hugged him. Pulling back she placed a light kiss on his lips. "Don't worry. Things will be okay. Ray can't stay a jerk the rest of the trip." "Francesca, Ray wasn't being a...he was right. We should have been more...careful." "Well, we will now." Giving him another kiss, she ruffled his hair. "Come on. Let's get changed and go help load the cars." "Okay." As Fraser stood, he wrapped his arms around Francesca and held her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head. "I love you." "I love you too." The words had no sooner left their lips, when there was a light tap at the door. "Benny...can I talk to you?"

 

 

Francesca could feel Fraser tense up. Should she let Ray tear him apart again or should she keep him away? Resting her head against his chest, she knew what she had to do. If Fraser were to survive in this family, he'd have to learn to stand up for himself. She couldn't fight all his battles, even if she wanted to. At the rate her family fought and argued, whether it was good natured or not, she'd be talking for him all the time. Giving him a tight hug, she backed away from him. "You and Ray need to talk. Alone. I'll be out helpin Ma pack."

Turning away from him, she quickly walked over to the door and yanked it open. Glaring at Ray, she kept her voice low. "You had better not hurt him again." Without another word, she pushed past Ray and stalked down the hall. Ray stood in the doorway, trying to decide what to do. He hadn't expected Francesca to leave him alone with Fraser. He had expected to argue with her. As he turned to look at Fraser, his stomach tightened. Fraser's face was pale and he looked wary. How was he going to straighten this mess out?

"Um...Benny...we need to talk." Fraser remained silent, only nodding his head yes to indicate he understood him. "Do you maybe want to go for a walk or somethin...for privacy?" *Please say yes.* He was feeling trapped by the whole situation and the small room didn't help matters. His eyes rested on the bed and he quickly looked away. That was the problem in the first place. This room, that bed and Fraser. Fraser cleared his throat. "A walk would be good."

They both walked out of the room and went down the hall. All commotion stopped as the two of them went through the kitchen. Ray ignored everyone except for his mother. "Ma...Benny an me are goin for a walk. We'll be back in time to go to the beach." "Go...we will wait." They walked out and the moment the door softly closed behind them, Francesca turned to Mrs. Vecchio.

"You're just gonna let Ray take him out and rip him apart?" Mrs. Vecchio smiled and shook her head. "Raymondo will not hurt Benton. They will talk and things will be settled." Francesca snorted. "Yeah right. Ray'll bully him and Benton will do whatever he wants. He always does. You know how he is, he's too nice." Maria smiled and handed Francesca a jug of punch. "I think this will be the test Frannie. Who knows, maybe Ray getting his butt kicked would be a good thing."

Francesca nervously chewed at a knuckle. Would Fraser hit Ray? No. He wouldn't...would he? She moved toward the door and her mother's voiced stopped her. "Let them be. They must work things out between them." "But Ma, I don't want..." "No. Now help me with the snacks." With a small huff, Francesca walked back to the table and began to pack things in the basket. She'd wait, but not for long. If Fraser wasn't back in twenty minutes, she'd go and get him no matter what anyone said.

 

 

They walked along the beach not looking at one another. The silence was killing Ray, but he needed the time to relax. He needed to clear his head and he knew that Fraser needed to think as well. There would be no point in running out here and screaming at each other....well, him screaming and Fraser nodding. They needed to talk and he knew that Fraser wouldn't do that unless he could calm down some.

They had gone a several blocks away from the house when Ray finally began to talk. "Benny...I didn't mean to yell like that, but you and Frannie need to be more considerate of everyone else. You two aren't the only people in that house." Fraser stopped walking and looked out at the ocean. Squinting, he tracked the flight of a seagull. "You're correct. We will be more discrete." Turning toward Ray, his cheeks turned a light pink. "I apologize for...I'm sorry we have kept you awake. I wasn't aware that the walls were...that you could hear us."

Running a hand over his head, Ray sighed. "I should have told you guys after the first night, but I know Frannie. She would have made sure you two were even louder than before." Fraser raised his head and looked Ray straight in the eye. "No she wouldn't. Francesca isn't that type of person. If you would have asked us, we would have refrained from...we would have..." He swallowed nervously, rubbing a sweaty hand on his shorts. "We would have been quiet."

Taking a deep breath, Fraser continued. He had to know. "How much...what did you hear?" Ray could feel his face growing warm. Kneeling, he picked a shell up and stared at it like it was the most important thing in the world. "Ray?" "I, uh...I heard it all." "Everything?" Nodding his head yes, Ray squeezed the shell in his hand until it hurt. "Yeah...every single thing." Fraser turned his back to him and took several calming breaths. He was embarrassed to death, but at the same time he was irritated. Ray could have said something the first night. It was too humiliating for him. He and Francesca had...well he knew what they had done, but to have Ray know...

Turning toward Ray, he frowned. "You should have said something. Anything would have been preferable to having you listen to us." Ray could feel his face grow hotter. "I told you it wouldn't have done any good. Frannie would have..." Fraser cut him off. "What about me? Do you think I would have done what we...do you think Francesca and I are so crude that we would have continued to...keep you awake?"

The irritation had crept it's way into Ray's voice. "I don't know." Fraser's voice rose a fraction. "You don't know? Ray, for you to make such a statement says that you don't feel that you can trust me to act like an adult." "Well you weren't...you an Frannie were in there actin like two pigs in a blanket." Ray spat the words out and immediately regretted them. He watched as Fraser's face turned a brighter shade of pink, but along with it there was a spark of anger in his eyes. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to say that."

Fraser took a step toward him, his voice tight. "Ray, I don't know what feelings of anger you have harbored against me, but I don't feel that comments of that nature are called for. Francesca and I are married. What we do together is personal and I don't feel I need to ask your permission to do the things we do together." He took another step closer and began speaking again before Ray could even respond.

"You and Inspector Thatcher have had premarital relations and I haven't commented negatively on them. I have in fact welcomed them in the hope that maybe the two of you could possibly find the same joy that Francesca and I have found. For you to continue making snide remarks about us...I won't stand for it. You have got to accept the fact that we are married, we will be...we will stay that way. No matter what you do or say, things will not change. If you can't accept it then...tough." Fraser blinked in surprise at what he had just said. *Tough. Oh that was such an eloquent way of putting things. No wonder he thinks you're a half wit at times."

Ray stared at Fraser. *Did he just say 'tough'?* For Fraser, that was an outburst. A screaming rant and rave. Instead of pissing him off, Ray found himself smiling. "Tough?" Fraser could feel the tension slowly melting away. "Yes." A small smile twitched at the corners of his own mouth. "Okay. I can deal with that." He took a step toward Fraser. At first Fraser thought that Ray was still angry until he looked in his eyes. There wasn't anger, only a mischievous twinkle. "Benny, I don't hate you...I can't explain how I feel about Frannie. She's my little sister. I've always protected her. Just cause you married her, it doesn't change the way I feel."

Toeing the sand beneath his feet, Fraser smiled. "I know...it's...some times your attentions can be positively smothering." "Me?" "Yes Ray, you. You complain that I don't talk to you, but you're at fault as well. You didn't tell us you could hear us. You hold things in and then you..." He waved his hands about. "...you freak out. You yell and scream and some times I worry that you'll burst an artery."

Ray rolled his eyes. "That's how I am, you should know that by now." "Yes and this is how I am and you should know that as well." "Well...maybe we 'both' need to start talkin to each other more. You gotta let me know stuff Benny, I'm not a mind reader." "Neither am I." They both stood next to one another looking out at the ocean. Ray peeked at his watch.

"We better get back to the house. The kids are probably dancin around the place and Frannie is probably in hysterics that I'm out here drownin you." Fraser smiled as they turned and walked back toward the house. "You wouldn't be able to drown me, Ray." "Oh yeah, why not?" "You would have to get me into the water and then pin me under." "And your point is?" "You couldn't do it." "You think so?" Fraser's smile grew wider. "I know so."

Ray quickly jumped at Fraser, wrapping his arms around his waist. Before he had a chance to put a move on him, Ray found himself laying face down on the sand with Fraser on top of him. "Now Ray, that was a silly thing to do." "Ugnh...I...I can get you...you just wait...a...minute." Ray struggled in Fraser's hold and was soon panting for air. "Ya know...you're a real...bastard...ya know that?" Fraser's voice was tinged with laughter. "Yes Ray."

Just as he was about to let Ray go, he heard someone running up toward them. He had forgotten all about being on the beach. Looking up, he gulped. "Benton Fraser you let him go!" Francesca was running like her life depended on it and she looked mad as hell. "Um...Ray...I think we're in trouble." Ray lifted his head up from the sand and stared at the figure of his livid sister as she drew closer. "I think you're right. You better let me up before she gets here."

 

 

Francesca walked down the beach, trying to keep calm. Fraser and Ray had been gone too long and she had left the house to go look for them. Her mother had yelled at her to stay, but she completely ignored her and ran from the house. She knew she'd pay dearly for doing it, but she had to make sure that Fraser was okay. He wasn't use to Ray's bad temper in the way that their family was. Having had a father with a temper was bad enough, but she always worried that one day Ray would snap and start hitting them as well. She wasn't about to put up with that.

Looking down at the sand, she followed their footprints. She had gone quite a way before she spied two figures walking side by side coming in her direction. They were still pretty far away, but she could see that it was them. With a sigh of relief, she quickened her pace. Without any warning, Ray suddenly tackled Fraser. She gasped and started running toward them, watching in horror as Fraser twisted away from Ray and slammed him face first into the sand. Fraser had Ray pinned down, his body covering him. She screamed out to Fraser, hoping to stop him from hurting Ray.

 

 

Fraser released his hold on Ray and slowly stood from his hunkered position. Holding a hand out to Ray, he help him up. He couldn't help chuckling as he looked at Ray's sand coated face and body. His chuckling was cut off as he heard Francesca yell again. "Benton, don't you dare touch him!" She was about twenty yards away from them, running in a full sprint. He stared at her approaching figure. "I didn't realize that Francesca was such a fast runner." As Ray dusted the sand off himself, he grinned. "When she's pissed, she's fast." "Oh dear." "You said it."

Francesca stopped in front of them, breathing heavily as she glared at the pair. "What in the hell is goin on here?! Can't you two even talk to one another any more?" She turned her angry glare to Ray. "You didn't need to touch him." She now directed her glare at Fraser. "And you! There's no excuse for what you did! You didn't have to do that!" "Do what Francesca?" "Oh no you don't. I saw you pick him up and shove his face in the sand. What in the hell is the matter with you?"

Tugging at his earlobe, Fraser smiled. "Ray said he could beat me up...I said he couldn't." She waved her arms about. "And?" Ray smiled. "So I grabbed Benny..." "Grabbed him?! Ray you tackled Benton!" "Grabbed, tackled, whatever. The weasel...oh excuse me...the 'otter' squirmed his way out of my hold and he kinda jumped on me." "Ray, I didn't jump on you, I merely rendered you incapable of pinning 'me' down in the sand. And I am not an otter." "Okay, you're a weasel." "Ray..." "Benny..." They both looked at each other, wearing stupid grins on their faces.

Francesca crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "What is goin on here? You two were fighting, now you're joking about it. I don't think it's funny at all." Fraser turned a confused face to her. "Fighting? No...we were...wrestling." "Wrestling?" "Well...not exactly wrestling. Ray would have had to have participated in some manner.." "Hey! I got you first!" "Did not." "Did too!" Francesca had enough. She yelled at them again. "Wait a minute!!!"

After running a hand over her head, she crossed her arms. "You mean to tell me, you two were 'playing', not 'fighting'?" Ray looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah." Fraser gave her another confused look. "Why would we be fighting with one another?" "Because Ray was ignorant to you. Because he yelled at you." Ray rolled his eyes. "Because you two kept me up for the past two nights. Because you ate my cereal and drank my milk." Before she could open her mouth to say something smart back, Ray cut her off.

"Look Frannie, we came out here to talk, so we talked. Every thing's settled. We were just kinda goofing around and you saw it and thought it was somethin else." "Benton is he lying?" "No. Why would he lie?" She gave them both a pissy look. "I know you're covering up for each other. You're so use to doing it at work, that now you're doing it here." "Francesca, we are not covering up anything. It's the truth. Why would I lie to you?" "I don't know Benton, but somethins not right here." "Francesca everything is fine. We've discussed every thing and have worked our differences out." "Uh huh." "Francesca..."

"Benny...forget it. If she wants to think we were beatin each other up, let her think that." "But Ray, we weren't fighting." "I know it, but once she gets it in her head that she's right, nothin can change it." "Francesca, we weren't fighting. I promise you, we weren't." Francesca gave Fraser a doubting look that quickly softened as she looked into his eyes. Fraser couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag, so why would this be any different? She sighed. "I believe you." Ray's face screwed up in confusion. "What? You believe him?" "Yeah...you may lie, but Benton doesn't."

Taking Fraser by the hand, she began to pull him away from Ray and in the direction of the beach house. Ray shook his head and followed them. "I give up." Walking slightly behind the pair, he noticed how relaxed they were together. How happy they were. Hopefully he'd be able to get a hold of Thatcher when they got back. Every time he had called her, she was in a meeting or indisposed. He hated to admit it, but seeing Fraser and Frannie together was starting to make him miss Thatcher even more.

 

 

Things went smoothly for the next few days. All they did was go to the beach and soak up the sun. Ray could still hear Fraser and Francesca occasionally at night, but it was so subdued that he knew they were really trying to not keep him awake or annoy him. He solved the problem by stopping at a drug store and buying ear plugs. The rest of his nights were filled with restful sleep. Unless he counted those few nights where he had erotic dreams about Thatcher.

 

 

They had been there for a little over a week when Fraser approached Ray. "Ray, could I ask a favor of you?" "Sure Benny, what'd ya need?" Fraser grinned down at Ray, who was laying on a beach towel, slathered in oil. He still couldn't get use to how relaxed everyone was here. Most of the Vecchio screaming matches had all but disappeared.

"Could you possibly help me locate a confectioners shop?" "You mean a candy shop?" "Yes Ray." "Why?" Fraser's eyebrows rose a fraction and he knelt down beside him. "Ray...tomorrow is Valentine's Day." Ray sat up like a he had been shot. "You're kiddin me?" "No Ray. I need to purchase something for Francesca." "Oh God...I'm in deep shit." Fraser was confused by Ray's whole demeanor, until he thought of a certain female inspector back in Chicago.

"You forgot the holiday and you think Meg will be offended?" Ray frowned. "Benny...we're not exactly...you know...a couple...officially...but she's gonna be pissed if I don't send her somethin." Fraser smiled slightly. Ray was still in denial. He wouldn't admit to anyone how deeply he cared for Thatcher. It was rather comical to watch him squirm when confronted with his own feelings. "Then to be safe, you should send her a package of sorts overnight. To at least let her know that you're thinking of her...but not in the manner of you and she being a couple...officially."

Ray frowned at Fraser. "Look, I can tell and she doesn't feel the same way that I..." Ray shut his mouth and quickly stood up. Fraser stood beside him. "I understand Ray." "Yeah...well don't go getting any smart ideas." "No Ray, I never do." They stood looking out at the ocean for a minute before Ray began speaking again.

"You think I should get her candy? What about flowers?" "Flowers would be appropriate. You could send her roses, red or pink, to let her know how you feel. You could call the order in so they would arrive tomorrow." "Okay, I'll send her some flowers." Ray peeked over at Francesca as she read a romance novel. "What are you getting Frannie?" Fraser smiled. "I'll tell you later. I think she's listening to us."

Francesca dropped her book in her lap and frowned. "I am not!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and began laughing. Fraser walked over to Francesca where he proceeded to grab and tickle her. Ray watched the pair as they wrestled a bit on the beach towel before running out to the ocean. With a sigh, he sat back down on his towel, wishing that Thatcher were there with him.

 

 

Ray pulled the Riv smoothly into the parking spot by the confectioners shop. As he turned off the ignition, he grinned at Fraser. "You're gonna love this place Benny. They have the 'best' candy." It was the day before Valentine's Day and even though he and Francesca had only been married for less than two weeks, Fraser was going to go all out for their first one as a married couple. Flowers would be presented, a romantic dinner for two at a nice restaurant, a nights stay away from the beach house was planned and the final purchase would be...candy. A traditional sort of candy was what he was looking for and Ray was more than happy to take him to get it.

As they walked into the store, Fraser's sense of smell was assaulted by chocolate, sugars and perfumey smells. He took an involuntary step backwards. "Benny is there somethin wrong?" Fraser took a shallow breath and moved forward into the store. "No Ray, I'm fine. It's just the smells." Ray took a deep sniff. "I know, isn't it great?" Fraser gave him a funny look and shook his head. Ray missed the look as he spied something on a counter. His eyes widened. "Oh my God, I have to get those for Meg!" He quickly walked away, leaving Fraser standing by himself.

After standing rooted to one spot, letting his eyes roam the store, Fraser slowly made his way down each isle, looking at the myriad of candies and sweets. As he turned a corner, his eyebrows rose considerably. Stepping closer to a display, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. Moving even closer to the object, he cocked his head to the side. Without any warning, Ray's voice yelled out loudly at the end of the isle.. "Hey Benny, look!"

Fraser jumped guiltily as Ray came up behind him. Even though he wasn't doing anything wrong, he felt an embarrassed flush rise on his face. Ray stopped by his elbow and frowned. "Ya know Benny, you are one horny bastard." "Ray?" Ray pointed at the display. "You gonna buy those for Frannie?" Fraser cracked his neck. "Um...Ray...what exactly 'are' they? They appear to be...undergarments of some type, but..." Ray shook his head and smirked at him.

"They're edible underwear Benny. Cherry flavored. So you gonna buy them or not?" Fraser quickly shook his head no. "No, I don't think Francesca would appreciate me buying those for her." He moved closer to the display. "Ray...is this..." "Yeah, it's a chocolate penis." "Oh dear." "Uh huh. I think you need to find another isle." "I believe you are correct." Just as they were about to turn away from the display, Fraser stopped to look at another object. Picking it up, he frowned. Ray snatched the can from his grasp and slammed it back on the counter.

"It's spray on latex." Fraser stared blankly at him. Ray rolled his eyes. "You spray it on a certain body part to..." He gestured with his hands. Fraser's face still remained blank. Grabbing him by the arm, Ray pulled Fraser to the next isle. "Ya know for someone who has spent the past week constantly havin sex, you don't know crap!" As Fraser's face turned red, he tried to change Ray's topic of conversation. "Um...Ray, what are those?" He pointed at a large display of marshmallow chicks and bunnies.

"They're peeps, Benny. Marshmallow peeps!" "Does Francesca like them?" He gave Ray and innocent look. "You don't give Easter candy as a Valentine's Day gift!" "Oh." "You..." Running a hand over his face, Ray drug Fraser to another isle where there were different types of chocolate hearts and packages of candies wrapped in red foil and ribbons. "This is what you want. Stay here and look around, I'll be right back." Fraser watched as Ray walked away from him. He was shaking his head and muttering under his breath. He strained to hear the word and smiled as he made out what Ray said. "He can't be that clueless."

No, he wasn't clueless, but he wasn't an expert on the unusual sexual products he had seen. To him, sex was unusual if a different hard to achieve position was introduced, not edible panties or plastic sticks that vibrated. Fraser craned his neck to see where Ray had wandered to. He quickly ducked back down, muffling his laughter. Ray was holding two boxes of the edible underwear and appeared to be debating on what flavor to choose. Smiling to himself, Fraser looked over the candies in the isle before him. After much debate, he picked up a white chocolate heart with red roses patterned across it. He could hear Ray's footsteps coming up behind him.

"You find what you wanted Benny?" "Yes Ray, I have." He held the box up. "And what did you find Ray?" He smiled knowingly and Ray looked back at him curiously. "Yeah, I found somethin." Ray held his bag up. "I paid for it already." Fraser continued to smile as he walked past Ray and up toward the check out counter. He paid for his purchase and they both got in the Riv. As he buckled his seat belt, Fraser turned to Ray and smiled again, watching Ray cringe as the words left his lips. "So what flavor underwear did you buy for Meg?"

 

 

Ray sat in stunned silence. *Did he just ask me about the underwear?* Fraser looked expectantly at him, the smile still on his face. *He's enjoyin this, the smug bastard!* Ray wanted to yell at him for being a smartass, but nothing would come out of his mouth. He could feel his face heating up. He was blushing! He wasn't supposed to blush, that was Fraser's domain, but here he was again, caught red handed by Fraser, doing something he had just chastised 'him' for doing.

"Ray?" "Uh...no...I...uh...oh what the hell!" Opening the bag up, he dumped it's contents on the space between them. A package of Godiva chocolate truffles and a package of cherry flavored underwear dropped out. Fraser stared at the underwear and chuckled. The words escaped his lips before he realized he had said them out loud. "Red suits her." His head snapped up as Ray's lowered voice rose a fraction. "What did you just say?" Now a small blush tinged Fraser's cheeks.

"Um...nothing." "No, you said...red suits her? What does that mean? Have you ever seen her in her underwear?" "No...not exactly...I don't think...well a camisole ...her bra was black, but...no, I've never seen her...under garments." "Hold on there Benny, let's go back a bit. You said her bra. When in the hell did you see her bra?" Fraser's finger automatically reached up to tug at a collar that wasn't there. Instead, he dropped his hand down and nervously rubbed at the scar on his thigh.

"I...on the train...when we were handcuffed together..." "Wait a minute! You never said anything about handcuffs! I thought that you two never did anything together!" Fraser looked at Ray's now angry face. What he started as teasing had now been blown out of proportion. It always seemed to happen to him. All it took was the wrong word or phrase and he'd be in a mess like this. "Ray...we didn't do anything. Except for the kiss..." He held his hand up to stop Ray from yelling at him. He began to talk rapidly, hoping to stop this from becoming another ruined day.

"I've told you about that incident before. Sirus Bolt had us handcuffed together, when I tried to retrieve the hair pin to unlock the cuffs...it fell down her camisole and I had to...her bra was black." Ray closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Just how did you get the hair pin if your hands were cuffed together?" "I...had to...well..." "Just spit it out!" "I had to use my mouth and..." "You used your mouth?" "Well...yes."

Ray got all sorts of visuals of Fraser's face buried between Thatcher's breasts. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Looking back at Fraser, he frowned. "Don't tell me any more. I don't want to know." He turned the ignition on and then he shut it off. "What did you mean by red suits her?" Fraser looked down at the scar and rubbed it harder. "Meg...Inspector Thatcher...she looks beautiful in red. The color compliments her." Ray thought back to the time he had seen her wearing the serge and when she wore that short red dress to the precinct. A small smile came to his face.

"Yeah...she does look hot in red." Fraser peeked over at Ray and saw his smile. He could feel the relief flooding through his body. Ray was perturbed at him, not angry any more. Looking down, he picked up the box of chocolates. "She will enjoy these. They are her favorite." "Yeah, she told me...how did you know they're her favorites?" Fraser could see it starting all over again. He wanted it to stop. Ray had no reason to be jealous of him and he had to let him know in no uncertain terms.

Raising his left hand up, Fraser practically shoved the wedding band on his left finger only inches from Ray's eyes. "Ray, listen to me closely because we will never have this discussion again. I am married to Francesca. I love her and have felt this way about her for some time. I have not in the past, nor will I ever in the future be making advances on Meg." Dropping his hand down, he could see that Ray was again rendered speechless. "I know a myriad of thing about her that you may never know. She and I have worked closely together and you learn small details about a person this way. Just because I may know what her favorite chocolate is, it doesn't mean that I have engaged in any sexual activity with her. Do you understand me?"

Ray nodded his head. "Yeah, but..." "Haven't Meg and I told you numerous times that we never did anything of that nature together?" "Yeah." "Then why do you continually doubt us? Why can't you accept the fact that we never had a relationship?" Running a hand over his head, Ray leaned back. "I don't know. I guess I'm findin it hard to accept that she wants to be with me when..." He looked at Fraser, then shook his head again before starting the Riv. Fraser reached over and turned the ignition off.

"Why is it hard for you to accept that she likes you, Ray?" Leaning back against the seat once more, Ray stared at the roof. "I don't know...it's like...what in the hell is she doin with me ya know?" "Ray, now that's just silly." Sitting up, Ray turned to Fraser. "If it's so silly, then why do I feel this way? I know I'm not what she normally likes. She goes for guys like yo...guys that are...from Canada."

Fraser cocked an eyebrow at him. "I have observed her going out on several occasions with men who haven't been Canadian." Ray smirked at him and turned the ignition back on. "Yeah, thanks for remindin me." "Ray it's not that she's...Ray this is ridiculous. You and Meg have a found that being in each others company is enjoyable. What can't you accept that?"

As he pulled into traffic, he kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. "I'm afraid okay! Is that what you want me to say? I'm afraid I'm gonna like her too much and then she's gonna realize that I ain't what she wants and then she'll dump my sorry ass for some guy with a title or somethin." Fraser turned his head to hide his smile. Ray obviously was so taken with Thatcher that he was afraid to lose her. Francesca was right. The more in love Ray became, the more paranoid and insecure he would get.

After putting on a serious face, he turned back to Ray. "She's not like that Ray. Titles and position don't matter to her." Ray shot Fraser a doubting look. "What about you?" "Well..." Fraser began rubbing at the scar on his thigh again. "Ya know Benny, if you keep rubbin at that thing, you'll reopen the it." Pulling his hand away, Fraser frowned.

"You know what I mean Ray. If Meg is with you, it's because she enjoys your company. You and she share many interests." "Yeah? Like what?" "Fashion is an example." Ray shot Fraser a dirty look. "You are a real wise ass today Benny." This time Fraser didn't try to hide his smile. "I am being serious Ray. You both like nice clothing, dinners out, dancing...your work is important to you as Meg's work is to her. You both share similar temperaments." "And just what is 'that' supposed to mean?"

"Ray, you and Meg are well suited for one another. Even your mother and Maria have said that they notice it. Even 'Tony' sees it." "Tony?" "Yes." "Am I really that obvious?" "Yes Ray." They road in silence for a few minutes before Ray spoke again. "So you think I should send her roses?" "That would be one way of letting her know how you feel." "Should I send her red ones or white ones." "How much you care for her would determine the color." "Oh. Okay...I'll send her roses. I'll save the candy for when we get back." "What about the cherry flavored..." "Shut up Benny." "Yes Ray."


	8. Chapters 176 to 192 aka the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited from Red Suits You. Will edit later.

Walking into the house, Ray hurried over to the counter where he had left his cell phone. Like an idiot, he had been in a rush to get to the beach in the morning and had forgotten to take it with him. He felt nervous and giddy like a teenager when he saw the missed call message waiting for him. Walking over to the sofa, he flopped down and pressed the button that would let him see who had called. It had to be Thatcher. Who else would be calling him on his cell phone in Florida?

The moment he heard her voice, a tingle ran down his spine. Slouching further down, he tucked the phone tightly to his ear, not wanting to miss a single word she said. "Ray...the flowers are lovely. It was so thoughtful of you to remember me. I feel rather bad...I didn't send you anything." She paused briefly before continuing, her voice now holding a teasing quality to it. "I'm sure I can think of a way to make it up to you when you get back." He smiled as several images flew through his head. Her next words almost caused him to drop the phone. Her voice was low and to him it was filled with emotion. "I miss you, Ray."

There was another pause and then she said a quick good-bye before hanging the phone up. He pulled the phone away from his ear and held it in his lap, staring at it like it was going to shock him. Jabbing the button, he brought the phone back up to his ear, listening to the message repeat itself. There was no doubt about what he had heard, but he had to hear it again to be sure. He replayed the message a third time before setting the phone back in his lap. Fraser walked over and looked down at him.

"Ray...is something wrong? Did you get an emergency call from Lieutenant Welsh?" Ray raised his eyes and looked at Fraser. "No, it was Meg." He took a deep breathe. "She said she misses me." Fraser smiled. "I take it she received the flowers you sent her?" "Yeah, she liked them." Looking down at the phone, Ray smiled. "She misses me, Benny."

He stood and walked into the kitchen and began rummaging in the refrigerator. His throat had closed up and he needed a drink. All he had to do was start blubbering like an idiot in front of everyone and they'd start teasing him about Thatcher. Grabbing a beer, he went back into the living room and flopped down on the sofa. Picking up the remote, he began to channel surf.

Fraser watched Ray for a moment before he went back to the task of helping bring all the beach items into the house. As he carried a basket of toys around to the backyard, he watched Francesca hosing the sand off of Tereasa. When she was done, she gave her a towel and sent her in the house. Turning the water back on, she leaned her head back and let the water run through her hair. Pulling her fingers through her thick tresses, she then brought the hose down and let the water run over her chest, unaware that Fraser was watching her.

She smiled to herself as the water ran over her skin washing the salt and sand off. The water was cool, but not frigid. Opening her eyes, she looked around to make sure no one was watching her. Her smile widened as she spied Fraser standing at the corner of the house staring intently at her. Bring the hose forward, she pulled the material of her top back and leaning forward so that he could get a good view of her breasts. Peeking up, she giggled as his eyes locked with hers. Standing straight, she wiggled her eyebrows as she pulled her bikini bottoms open and let the water run down her stomach and legs.

Fraser had never moved from the corner of the house. He stood as still as a statue, which considering he did sentry duty often, it was easy to do. Turning the water off, she grabbed a large beach towel and wrapped it loosely around her. Reaching inside the towel, she undid her top and hung it over the railing of the deck. The bikini bottoms soon joined the top. Walking over to Fraser, she smiled up at him, then unwrapped the towel so that he could see her nude figure. "So Benton, do you like my tan lines?"

His eyes traveled from her toes to her face. She could see that he was getting a bit worked up by the slight increase in his breathing. "They're very...nice." As she wrapped the towel back around her, she could see the look of disappointment flash over his features. She gave him an evil grin. "Can I see 'your' tan lines?" Fraser chuckled and shook his head as he began to walk way from Francesca.

"I don't believe that I have much of a tan. The sunscreen you've been using on me has prevented me from coloring too deeply. Francesca skipped behind him. "I bet you do have a tan." Grabbing his swim trunks, she pulled them down slightly, revealing a pale white buttock. Fraser quickly dropped the basket of toys he was carrying, yanking the suit back into place. "Francesca!" "Oh don't be such a baby. No one saw your butt and you thought it was funny when I yanked Ray's swimsuit down." "That was different."

Bending over to pick up the toys that were strewn across the ground, Fraser felt Francesca pulling at his swim trunks again. Standing back up, he sighed as he pulled them up. "Francesca..." "Benton..." She was smiling brightly at him, but it faded as he stared at the towel that was wrapped around her. Her eyes widened slightly. "You wouldn't dare!" Before she could react, a hand reached out and ripped the towel off of her. She was standing in the backyard stark naked.

Ray snapped up straight in his seat as he heard a blood curdling scream coming from the back yard. Years of training and instinct kicked in. Jumping up, he was at the door and out of the house in seconds flat, soon to be followed by everyone else in the house. The sight that he saw wasn't what he expected. Fraser stood in the middle of the yard, twirling a towel above his head and Francesca was frantically trying to reach it. The moment Ray burst out laughing, she screamed and ducked behind Fraser.

"Benton, give me the damn towel!" She punched him in the leg and he handed it down to her, laughing the entire time. Looking down at Francesca's glaring face, he quickly grabbed the waistband of his swim trunks and held them tightly in place. Pushing past him, she ran up to the house and shoved her way past every one. "All of you can stop laughing now!"

Fraser tucked his head down as he saw the family members slowly make their way back in the house. He hadn't meant for them to come out and see her naked. How was he to know that she was able to scream that loud? Well, he knew she could be extremely vocal, but not in the way she had just demonstrated. Turning his back on the house, he began to slowly gather the toys on the ground placing them in the basket. He could hear footsteps approaching him. Peeking to the side, he recognized Ray's feet.

"Benny...that was mean ya' know." Taking a deep breath, Fraser slowly let it out. "I know...but she...I was only playing." Ray's chuckle automatically made him relax. Kneeling beside Fraser, he tossed a few toys in the basket. "You know she's gonna be mad at you." Smiling slightly, Fraser kept his head down. "I know." Ray grinned as he caught the smile. "You don't care though do ya?" Looking up, he smiled again.

"I do care, but in another way I don't. She was teasing me and I was only doing what she has encouraged in the past." Ray laughed as he stood up. "Yeah, but doing what she asks isn't what she always wants." "I know." Placing the basket of toys on the deck, Fraser picked up the small piece of red material that was Francesca's bikini top. "She'll forgive me." Ray snatched the top from Fraser's hands and dropped it back over the railing to dry.

"What ever you have planned tonight, you better hope she still wants to do it." Fraser looked at Ray, a slight frown crossing his features. "She wouldn't refuse to go out. Would she?" Grinning, Ray slapped him on the shoulder. "I don't know Benny, you tell me. How does Frannie react when she's pissed off?" "Oh..." "Yeah, oh. As in oh dear, I should have thought of that before I took the towel." Fraser looked at Ray and then at the house. Turning, he quickly went inside followed by Ray. Maria was smiling at them as they entered the house.

"Maria, where did Francesca go?" "She went that-a-way." Pointing down the hall, she giggled. "She looked mad Benton." Fraser practically ran down the hall. Ray shook his head and started laughing as he pulled a stool up to the counter. Maria smiled knowingly at Ray. "He's going to go and suck up to her isn't he?" Ray smirked and nodded his head yes. "You know Benny. He caves in all the time. She has him wrapped." Maria's smile widened. "Speaking of wrapped...how's Meg doing?"  
Jumping off of the stool, Ray sauntered to the living room and flopped back on the sofa. "I'm not gonna answer that or any other question." "Uh huh. You're one to talk." "Do I hear anything? No, all I hear is the television." Ignoring Maria, Ray strained to hear what was going on down the hall. He could hear Fraser standing at a door, begging Francesca to let him in. Yeah...things were business as usual. Grabbing the channel changer, he resumed flicking through the stations, trying to find something decent to watch until they went out to dinner.

Leaning against the bedroom door, Fraser kept his voice low as he talked to Francesca. "Francesca...please...open the door." Her muffled voice answered him. "No. Go away!" Closing his eyes, he sighed. He had spent so much time and effort on preparing for their Valentine evening together and now she was going to ruin it. All because he had teased her. Well...it wasn't really because he had teased her, he believed it was her embarrassment that was going to make things difficult.

"Francesca...I'm sorry I embarrassed you. It was totally uncalled for on my part." She remained silent. All he could hear was her movement around the room. "Francesca, I'm sorry." He began to grow exasperated. She was the one that insisted that he loosen up. "How was I to know that you were going to scream like that?" He heard all movement on the other side of the door stop. Then footsteps raced over to the door and it was yanked open.

"Oh so this is all 'my' fault? You're the one that left me naked so that the whole world could see!" She slammed the door in his face. He stared at the closed door, feeling his face flush in anger. He had apologized and groveled, what more did she want from him? Placing his hands on his hips, he looked down at the doorknob. It was a simple lock. If she wouldn't let him in so that they could discuss this like rational people, then he would have to make her listen to him.

Quickly walking down the hall, he headed toward the kitchen, ignoring the looks of Ray and Maria as he came into the room. Digging threw a drawer, he grabbed the ice pick and headed back down the hall. Ray and Maria looked at each other in surprise. "Ray...did he just grab an ice pick?" "Yeah." "What would he use that for? Other than stabbing her?" "I don't know?" Ray's confused expression changed into a smile. "He's gonna pick the lock."

Maria's mouth dropped open and then she began laughing. "No way! Frannie will kill him if he does that!" Pushing away from the couch, Ray ran over to stand next to Maria in the kitchen. The two of them strained to listen to what was happening down the hall. Maria laughed again. "She'll freak." Ray snickered and grinned back at her. "I know, I can't wait!" Francesca yanked a pair of shorts on and then grabbed a thin tank top, pulling it over her head. Fraser's 'I'm sorrys' were getting on her last nerve. How could he even think she'd forgive him so fast? He had embarrassed her to death in front of her family. She froze in place as she heard Fraser's receding footsteps. *He's leaving?* Slipping a pair of sandals on, she moved toward the door, but stopped as she heard footsteps coming back down the hall.

Fraser's voice called out to her from the other side of the door again. "Francesca, please let me in." Crossing her arms, she glared at the closed door. "No! Go away!" Turning her back on the door, she grabbed a brush off the dresser and angrily pulled it through her hair as she mumbled under her breath. "Embarrass me? Yeah...see when you get sex again, you horny bastard." She froze again, as she heard a noise coming from the door.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the sound. Years of living with a brother who was a cop told her what it was. Fraser was trying to jimmy the lock. Rushing over, she reached for the door knob, falling backward into the room as the door was pushed open. He dropped the ice pick to the floor and grabbed her. Picking her up, he closed the door behind him. Walking over to the bed, he threw her down.

Rolling onto her back, Francesca glared up at him. "Get out, Benton." Cocking an eyebrow at her, he frowned. "No, I don't think that's an option Francesca. We need to discuss this like adults and I can't do that if I'm on the other side of a closed door." She moved to kick at him, only to find her foot, held in a tight grip. Her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered to a menacing tone. "Let me go and get the hell out of here." She could feel her blood boiling as he looked calmly down at her, his voice quiet. "No."

Bringing her other leg around, she tried to kick his hands off her foot, only to find both feet now trapped. "Francesca, please stop kicking at me. This isn't going to resolve anything." "Let me go." "Not until you promise not to kick me." She frowned and then gave him a fake smile. "Okay Benton. I promise I won't kick you, now let me go." He released his hold on her feet and nodded in satisfaction as she sat up without kicking him. He was caught off guard as she jumped up and shoved him in the stomach, pushing him backward.

She watched him fall back, satisfied that she had tricked him, but the triumphant smile that she wore vanished as he tripped and fell heavily into the door. The look of surprise on his face was replaced by one of pain as he straightened up. Her voice came out in a squeak. "Benton?" He stood there, staring at her for a moment or two, his chest rose and fell with deep breaths. Without any warning, he turned and yanked the door open and left the room, slamming it behind him.

*Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!* Scrambling off the bed, she yanked the door open and a raced down the hall. She heard the back door slamming and Ray yelling out. "Benny!" As she rushed into the kitchen, Ray yelled at her. "What in the hell did you do?!" Maria was even staring at her in shock. She ignored them both and rushed out of the house, leaving the back door wide open. Looking around, she spotted him walking to the water's edge. Stopping, he stared down at the waves.

With a relieved sigh, she thanked God, that he hadn't run away. There was no way she could catch him if he hadn't wanted her to. Running a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath. First Ray had hurt him and now she had. Things weren't going the way she had planned. Closing her eyes, she sighed. She had hit him in anger, just like Gino use to do to her. Fighting back tears, she began walking down toward the water and Fraser, hoping to some how fix things between them before their marriage was ruined.

 

She quietly walked up and stood beside Fraser, letting the surf lap at her feet. She knew that she had really messed things up because he wouldn't look at her. *I can't believe I did that. I hit him. God Frannie, you are such a dope!* Looking out across the ocean, she replayed it over in her mind. Her jumping up and shoving him in the chest, him falling heavily into the door. The worst part was the look of pain on his face. What if she had reinjured his back? Taking a deep breath, she turned to him, finding herself facing Fraser just as he turned toward her.

"I'm sorry..." They said it at the same time and then both their faces grew confused. "Why are you..." Again they spoke at the same time. Fraser held his hand up, stopping her from speaking. "Francesca what have you to be sorry for? This is all my fault. If I hadn't broken into the bedroom, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry...I didn't want things to be like this." Crossing her arms, Francesca toed the sand.

"No...this is all my fault. I mean, you were only playin and I kinda freaked out and I didn't mean...Benton...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have hit you." "You wouldn't have done something like that if I hadn't provoked you. It's not in your nature to be a violent person." She snickered and glanced up at him. "You've never seen me and Ray go at it before." He smiled slightly. "You hit Ray?" Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled. "Only when he deserves it." Her smile faded. "I won't ever hit you again...Gino...he use to...and I swore I would never hit someone I loved in anger."

Taking a step forward, he took her hands in his. "Francesca, sometimes our emotions over rule what our mind says is right. We follow our heart and forget about rational things. You didn't exactly hit me, you pushed me. I have to admit that I was caught off guard." She squeezed his hands. "Don't go making excuses for me. I use to do that for Gino all the time. He was tired, he had a bad day...what ever I could think of to make it look like he wasn't hurting me on purpose. There's no excuse for hitting you or shoving you. I won't do it again."

She felt herself being pulled into a hug, relieved to find that he wasn't angry with her. Relived to know that he didn't hate her. "And I promise never to enter a locked room without your consent." They stood for a few moments, enjoying the quiet sounds of the surf and seagulls. She felt him pulling away from her and was disappointed to feel him back away. "Francesca...I believe we still have a problem." He nodded in the direction of the beach house.

Peeking back at the house, she suppressed a smile. Ray and Maria were too obvious for their own good. They were both standing at the open door watching them. She waved back at them, laughing as Ray waved a hand at her in disgust and went back inside the house. Maria shook her head and laughed at them as they began walking up to the house. When they reached the porch, she peeked in the house and laughed again.

"You two have Ray all confused. He thought you're marriage was over and done with." Holding Fraser's hand in hers, Francesca grinned at her sister. "Nah, we'll be together until we're old and gray. This was just a...disagreement." "A disagreement? Uh huh. You looked like you were about to explode..." She pointed at Fraser. "...and you looked like you were scared to death." She gestured at Francesca. "I kind of thought it would take a day or two before you guys even talked to one another."

They walked into the house and saw Ray grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. He looked up at them and shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Ignoring him, Francesca pulled Fraser down the hall and to the bedroom. Maria sat on the stool in the kitchen and laughed at Ray. "Oh come on Ray, you have to admit it was kind of funny." Taking a sip of the beer, he made a face. Looking at the label, he sighed. "It figures." "What's the matter?" "Skunky beer."

Moving over to the sink, he poured it down the drain. "What is it about this vacation any way? Nothin is goin right for me. First I hear those two goin at it, then I don't get any sleep, I argue with Benny and now my beer is crappy." Maria frowned slightly as she watched the golden liquid pouring from the bottle.

"Maybe that God's way of telling you that you shouldn't drink." "Ya know, I don't need your crap Maria." Sighing, she picked up a pencil and rolled it between her hands. "I'm not giving you crap Ray. Ma doesn't like seeing you drink and neither do I." "Ma ain't here and I don't care. I have a beer now and then, it's not like I'm Pop." Maria put the pencil down and stared at him. "You almost were."

Throwing the beer bottle in the trash, Ray glared at Maria. "I was 'never' like Pop! I didn't get sloppy, I didn't hit my wife and I never blew my whole pay check on booze and gambling." "But you almost lost your job and you did use it to escape from what happened between you and Angie." "Drop it Maria." "Ray, you have to..." His voice was low and full of venom. "I said drop it. I never told you to wise up when it came to Tony, so don't you go and tell me what to do. My life is fine. I don't need you watchin over me like I'm some bum. I am 'not' Pop, I'll never be like him"

With that, Ray stomped his way through the living room and down the hall. Maria could hear the door to his room close a little too loudly. Yes, she nagged Ray at times, but someone had to do it. Ma wouldn't say anything to him, just like she never said anything to their father. Maybe the rest of the family didn't mind Ray drinking, but Maria did. It was always in the back of her mind that Ray would turn out like their father. The attitude, the habits, the stubborn streak...Ray was their father's son and it scared her to death.

Before Fraser had come into Ray's life, Maria had watch him begin the path toward self destruction. Late nights, drinking, skipping out on work. If it wasn't for the Fraser coming to Chicago, she knew that her brother would have walked the same path that their father did.

Sighing, she picked a wash rag up and began cleaning the kitchen. She wouldn't say anything more to Ray the rest of the trip, but she'd keep an eye on him. Maybe now that he had Meg Thatcher in his life, she would keep him away from all the things that had almost ruined his life before.

 

Looking around the room, Ray fumed. He was tired of his family nagging him. He wasn't anything like his father. Yes, he had slid a bit a few years ago, but he was never sloppy drunk and he never hit anyone. Huffing, he yanked the door to his room open and stalked his way outside, completely ignoring Maria as he went through the living room.

He carefully closed the front door to prove to her that unlike his father, he could control his temper. Walking over to the Riv, he opened the door, reaching into the glove compartment he took his cell phone out. Glancing around, he made his way a bit down the road and then out to the beach. Finding a secluded spot, he flopped down in the sand.

Flipping the cell phone open, he punched a button that speed dialed Thatcher's number at work. He had programmed her work numbers, her cell phone and her home numbers in before he had left Chicago. That was a sure sign he had it bad for her. Putting the phone to his ear, he listened to it ring, growing impatient. What if she had gone home early? *Nah.* Thatcher wouldn't leave early from work no matter what. She was too dedicated to do something like that. The line clicked through.

"Canadian Consulate, Constable Turnbull speaking, how may I help you..." Ray cut him off before he could begin rambling the greeting in French. "Hey Turnbull, it's me, Ray." "Ah, Detective Vecchio! How are you today?" "I'm fine. Is Inspector Thatcher in?" "Why yes she is." Ray listened to dead air, rolling his eyes in irritation. "Can I 'talk' to her?" "No, I'm sorry, she has guest in her office at the moment. May I take a message?" "No...yeah. Tell her, I called and have her call me back. No...tell her I'll call her back tonight. I mean later." Ray could almost see Turnbull smirking at him through the phone. He had managed to sound like a complete idiot.

"I'll let her know that you called and you'll contact her later." "Okay...thanks." Before he could disconnect the call, Turnbull continued talking. "I've checked your home every night. Things are in order and Tanya is safe and snug as a bug in a rug." Ray immediately grew suspicious. *Every night?* "What do you mean 'every' night? You aren't stayin there with her are you?" "Oh my... look at the time. I think I had better let you go. I wouldn't want to run your phone bill up." The line clicked and all Ray heard was static.

He stared down at the phone feeling his chest tighten. Turnbull had to be doing more than checking on the house. Snapping the phone shut, he stood and angrily dusted the sand off his backside, stomping his way back to the house. With each step he thought of a different way to string Turnbull up by his balls once he went back home. There was no way he'd let that goof ball be anywhere near his cousin Tanya. She was too nice. Too innocent. He wouldn't have her ruined by that idiot. Turnbull trudge up the walkway to the Vecchio home with a heavy heart. He sighed as he walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. Every night he had come to the house after work to check on Tanya and every night he had slept on the sofa in the den, making sure that nothing happened to her. He couldn't leave her alone. She needed someone to protect her. She was so small. So beautiful and delicate. Everything about her made him want to pick her up and hold her close to him.

As the door opened, he smiled, instantly forgetting all about his phone call with Ray. Tanya jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. I missed you, Rennie." He hugged her back, twirling his way into the foyer before setting her down. Holding her hands in his, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. That's all they had done so far. Hold hands and exchange a few brief chaste kisses.

After closing the door, Tanya began to pull him further into the house. "I have a surprise for you." "A surprise? For me?" Turnbull's face split in a big grin. No one surprised him with anything. No one cared for him the way Tanya did. Every word was kind hearted, every gesture loving. She had quickly become the center of his lonely life, filling a large void that he had never knew existed. Tanya was his everything.

"Yes for you, silly. Who else would I make surprises for?" "You're other admirers?" She tucked her head down and smiled, squeezing his hands. "There is no one but you." As she led him into the dining room, he held his breath. There was a dinner for two, complete with candlelight and flowers. The lights were turned down low and music played softly in the background. "I thought maybe you and I could have a real dinner together. Alone."

Walking to the table, he pulled a chair out for Tanya. This would be their first meal alone. Except for their breakfast with Diefenbaker that is. Tanya had taken him to her families home for dinner every evening. He had sat through meals with people yelling and passing food back and forth. Until he had seen it with his own eyes, he had thought that Fraser had exaggerated when he had talked about the way the meals at the Vecchio home were. As he sat down, he marveled at the silence.

Looking at Tanya sitting next to him, he gave her a shy smile. She made him nervous and giddy at the same time. As they ate their meal, they hardly talked, the two of them being so alike. Once they finished eating, they went about clearing the table, hands brushing together as they reached for the same plate. Turnbull could feel the tension between them. This was going to be extremely difficult. Once they cleaned every thing up and settled on the sofa in the den, he took her hand in his, marveling at the difference in size between her small hand and his large one.

"Tanya...I don't think I should stay here tonight." He saw her face fall, looking as if she might start crying. "I don't want to leave, but I have to. It's not appropriate that I stay in this house alone with you." "But what if someone comes here in the night? I'll be all alone!" "You have Diefenbaker here. He'll protect you with his life." Tanya shook her head no. "He's not here. Willy came and took him for the night." "Oh."

Tanya scooted closer to him and rested her head on his chest. "Please don't leave me." Wrapping his arms around her, he smiled. "I'm not going to leave you, I'm just not going to stay for the evening. You can call me before you go to bed and when you get up. I come over in the morning as soon as I can." She began to trace the leaf on his Toronto Maple Leafs t-shirt. "You've stayed all the other times, why can't you stay tonight?" Tilting her head, she stared up at him. He could see tears shimmering in her eyes. He knew that he wouldn't be leaving her. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her lips. "I'll stay."  
She gave him a shy smile and kissed him back, reaching her arms up, she hugged him to her, giving him another kiss. One kiss lead to another. And another. With each touch of their lips, they grew bolder. Before he knew it, he had his fingers threaded through Tanya's long dark hair. Without even thinking, he let his tongue reach out. Her mouth opened to him and he greedily explored her. No he wouldn't be leaving tonight. As they slowly sank back on the sofa, all thoughts of Ray Vecchio faded from his mind. The only thing that existed was his sweet Tanya.

Stalking his way into the house, Ray made a beeline for the refrigerator. Reaching in, his hand automatically grabbed a beer. As he picked the bottle up, he stared at it. Slowly setting the bottle back down, he picked up a pitcher of juice and poured himself a glass.

Sitting at the counter, he rubbed a hand absently over his head and neck. Maria was right about him. The moment things got too stressful, he would go for a drink. He had always kidded himself that it relaxed him or cooled him off. The reality of the situation had hit him like a ton of bricks. He was an alcoholic. Not one of those drink until you got smashed ones, but he was dependent on it. He needed it when he really didn't.

He sat and tried to think of how many beers he had consumed in the past few months and it bothered him to find out that he was more than a casual drinker when he was under stress. When Victoria had arrived, he remembered drinking alot. When he had shot Fraser, he definitely knew he had one too many because he had ended up calling out sick because he was so hung over. Blowing out the breath he had been holding, Ray stared out the kitchen window, watching the churning surf. His life was like the ocean, constantly changing and sometimes it just as violent.

Closing his eyes, he thought of all the cases he had worked on, all the dead bodies he had seen, all the horrible crap that no sane person would subject themselves to and here he did it day in and day out. Maybe he needed to seek some type of counseling, maybe he didn't. Maybe he just needed to take a hard look at the way he lived his life and what he wanted to do with the remainder of it. Should he be a cop? Should he even be allowed to own a gun?

Leaning back against the counter, he took a sip out of the glass in his hand, remembering drinking grape juice as a little kid. Even then he had known he would become a police officer. It's all he had ever wanted to do with his life. No...he couldn't leave the force, he'd just have to make some adjustments in his life. His thoughts then shifted to Thatcher. Where exactly did she fit in his life? He knew that he loved her, but how much? Was she the 'one'. The woman that he would settle down with? The woman that would bear his children?

He tried picturing Thatcher pregnant. Then he tried picturing her cuddling an infant or playing with a toddler. For some reason, it just didn't fit her character. Then again, he had never really seen her interact with any kids, not even Maria's.

Draining the glass of the remainder of the juice, he rinsed it out and put it in the sink. He was supposed to be enjoying his vacation, not analyzing his life. It's a wonder he never had a heart attack from all the stress he put himself through. Walking down the hall to his room, he shook his arms out. There was no sense in getting all worked up over things he couldn't control. Maybe a little nap would help. Fraser and Francesca walked out of their room and down the hall. Fraser carried their overnight bags in one hand, while touching Francesca on her ass with his free hand. She giggled and jumped forward. "Benton, don't do that! Geez, can't you wait until we get to the hotel?" Looking around to make sure no one was in the room, he leaned down and kissed her, moving his lips to her neck to gently nibble at her flesh. She didn't move away from him, instead she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I guess that means no, huh?"

Placing one more kiss on her neck, he smiled down at her. "I can wait. We'll have dinner out and then we can spend the evening together...alone." "God, I can't wait. I am so tired of havin to be quiet." Moving away from Fraser, she looked around. "Where is everyone?" "I think they're all napping before they go out to dinner." Francesca snorted. "They are so out of shape." A horn beeped out front of the house. "It's the taxi, we gotta go." "What about letting your...letting everyone know that we've gone for the evening?" "They know where we're goin, besides, they'll see us in the mornin."

Grabbing Fraser by the hand, she pulled him outside and down the sidewalk. Getting into the cab, she gave the driver the hotel's address. Snuggling closer to Fraser, she sighed. "This is gonna be nice ya know. No kids, no Ma. No 'Ray'." She smiled as Fraser rested a hand on her thigh, slowly rubbing his thumb along her skin. "Yes, it will be a nice change. I love yo...our family dearly, but I don't know if I could live with them all the time."

By the time they reached the hotel, Francesca had felt like screaming. The feel of his hand on her thigh was bad enough, but then he had to go and edge said hand further up. She tried to ignore him and didn't say a thing as he had touched her through her clothing, always keeping his eyes on the cabby in front of them, making sure that his movements were discrete. She knew she would be in for a passionate lust filled night and couldn't wait to get to their room. Thank God, they had made reservations ahead of time and checking in would only take minutes. She didn't know if she could stand waiting any longer. The moment that hotel room door closed, she was going to be all over him.

 

Stepping into the elevator, Francesca waited patiently for the doors to close. The moment they shut, she turned, prepared to jump on Fraser only to find herself trapped against the wall in a crushing embrace. Fraser had locked his lips on hers, demanding entrance and she quickly complied. This was what she had been waiting for. Pure animal lust. The last time he had let loose like this was the first night that they had spent together at his apartment. Her heart sped up in anticipation.

They groped one another, shoving hands into clothing, touching one another in reckless abandon. The elevator stopped and the doors opened, but neither one paid any attention to it. It wasn't until the doors began to close, that Fraser's arm shot out and pried them back open. Pulling away from Francesca, he grabbed their bags from the floor and quickly ushered her down the hall. Snatching the key from her hand, he opened the door and threw their bags into the room. Grabbing her, he picked Francesca up. As he stepped into the room, he slammed the door shut by kicking it.

She smiled at him, her eyes narrowed as her breathing increased. Setting her down on her feet, they resumed kissing one another, hands pawing at clothing. In no time at all, they were standing naked in the middle of the room, still groping and kissing one another. As Fraser's tongue explored her mouth, his hand trailed down to touch her, not so gently stroking against her inner most folds. This would be the time for rough wild sex. The tenderness would come later when they had spent their frantic energy.

He pushed her back against the bad, her legs dangling over the edge. Sitting up, she gave him a wicked smile as he knelt down before her, resting his arms on her thighs, giving her a devilish smile that no one but she had ever seen. This wasn't the man that everyone else knew. This was her husband...her lover...her best friend. He showed a side of himself to her that not even Ray knew existed. "What do you want Francesca?" Running her hands through his hair, she spread her legs and gave him a cocky grin. "What do you think?"

As he tucked his head down and began to lick at her, she weaved her fingers through his dark hair, pulling and tugging as he pleasured her. When his fingers joined his lips and tongue, she moaned deeply. There would be no holding back tonight. No being quiet. They could enjoy one another in pure unadulterated bliss. Leaning over his back, she kissed his hot skin, letting her hands trail down to touch his ass. She jerked as she came, the orgasm fluttering through her body making her toes curl in delight.

Slowly standing, Fraser pushed her back on the bed and knelt over her, his erection hovering over her body. She watched his eyes trail over her, then he began to caress her nipples, cupping her breasts he sighed, murmuring under his breath. With lazy movements, she reached a hand up and began to slowly stroke him, smiling a sultry smile. She knew he wanted nothing more than for her to suck him off, but she wanted to wait and save that for later. She had a surprise planned and then that would be the time to do it.

Pushing at his abdomen, she urged him to lay down next to her, kissing him, she continued to pull softly at him, watching his eyes close and his breathing increase. Rolling on top of him, she wasted no time impaling herself on his length. Moving quickly, she ground her hips into him, reveling in the feeling of fullness that he gave her. Reveling in their joining as one. As she began to move up and down, letting him almost slide out of her, she giggled as he grabbed her by the hips and began thrusting urgently into her. He never had any patience when she was on top.

Just when she thought he was about to come, he pulled out and flipped her onto her stomach. Reentering her, he began to move into her in deep even strokes. His breathed like a marathon runner as he his hands gripped the sheets by her head. Pushing back against him, he groaned loudly as he shoved himself against her ass. To her surprise he pulled out, spilling his seed over her back and ass. When he began to rub it over her body, she tensed up. He had never done anything like this before and when he did something new, she knew that he was about to suggest something totally out of character for him. Something kinky or weird. The words that came out of his mouth next surprised the hell out of her.

Fraser ran his hand over Francesca's back, feeling all his nerve endings tingle. He wanted this. As strange as it sounded, he needed it. "Francesca...I want us to make love on the beach." "What?! You have got to be out of your mind!" She rolled over onto her back, looking up at him in surprise. He lay on top of her, pushing himself between her legs, smiling as he slid into her warmth again, watching her eyes close, then slowly reopen.

"I'd like to be near the ocean." "Benton, we are near the ocean." He began to slowly move into her. "On the sand." She made a face and let out a soft sigh. "Sand is sticky and messy." He brought his hand up to her face. "So is this." She turned her head away from the cum slicked hand and frowned. "Sand itches."

Leaning down, Fraser lightly teased a nipple with his lips before taking more of Francesca's breast in his mouth. Bringing the nipple to a hard peek, he suckled it, letting his tongue play over it. He smiled as she squirmed beneath him. Kissing a path up her chest, he whispered hotly in her ear as he increased his thrusts. "Please Francesca. I want to love you on the beach."  
Her small hands ran up and down his back, squeezing his ass, pulling him tighter against her, making him shiver in delight. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as he began to kiss her passionately. Pulling back, he looked at her expectantly as he began to thrust heavily against her. When she grasped his forearms tightly and moaned, he felt her convulsing around his length, slowing his thrusting down, he slowly moved into her.

"Please Francesca." She looked at him though sleepy eyes, reaching a hand up she brushed her fingertips across his lips, giving him a small smile. "Okay...we can try it, but we can't go out until late. I don't want anyone catching us." He gave her a loving smile before he began to thrust heavily into her again, wanting to laugh as she cried out for him to stop. Her body was spent, but he needed his release as well. All he thought of as he came, was that he would get to have Francesca and the ocean later that night.

After taking a small nap, they crawled out of bed and showered together, washing each others bodies gently. They had agreed to hold back and only get clean, saving themselves for later. Sitting on the balcony of their room, they ate a light dinner as they enjoyed the sunset. They picked at their food. Neither one of them were hungry, both of them anticipating their tryst on the beach.

By the time they were heading out of the hotel, the pair had worked themselves into a sexual frenzy. Peeking around in the darkness, Francesca slid her hand into the back of Fraser's shorts, squeezing his ass playfully. Turning to her, Fraser's grabbed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, while letting a hand stray down to palm a breast.

The more Francesca thought of having sex on the beach, the more excited she became. Ever since she had seen the movie "From Here to Eternity", she had always wondered what it would have been like to roll around on the sand and have hot passionate sex. Now she would have one of her fantasies fulfilled. It seemed that she and Fraser were slowly making their way down her list of things she had always wanted to do.

Pulling apart, they held hands as they tried to casually stroll along the beach under the moonlight. They passed an older couple who smiled at them. The moonlight was bright, casting shadows, the night air surprisingly cool as it blew in from the ocean. Looking up at the night sky, Francesca smiled as she thought of the verse diamonds in the sky. Looking down at her left hand, her smile grew as she watched the diamond ring on her finger glimmer in the pale light.

Walking further down the beach, they found a secluded spot. Francesca giggled as Fraser drew her down to the sand with him. As he rolled her over onto her back and lay above her, she smiled up at him, watching the moonlight play over his tanning skin. He was still pale, but not the white color that he was when they had first arrived. Looking about, she grew excited. No one could possibly see them. Reaching up, she pulled Fraser down to her, hungrily probing his mouth with her tongue, moaning in delight as he returned her touch. She didn't want to make this a long and drawn out affair. She wanted them to be like animals coupling in the wild.

Pulling at his shorts, she tugged them down, grasping his hardening penis, pulling at him and smiling as he let out a hissing breath. Fraser in return reached down and shoved her short skirt up, pushing his fingers under her silk panties to rub against her center, then dipping into her moistness. She urged him to move between her legs and in one swift motion, he pulled the material back and impaled himself in her.

Grabbing one of her legs, Fraser brought it up to his face as he thrust against her, kissing her calf and nuzzling his face against her skin. They rocked against one another in a lustful coupling. Francesca tried to stifle her moans and cries. She knew Fraser was struggling to keep quiet as well. It didn't tale very long for them both to shudder their release. He quickly pulled out from her and they put their clothing into place. Just as they turned to walk back to the hotel, a bright light shown down on them, causing them to freeze in place.

 

Ray leaned toward Thatcher, staring at her lips. He tensed up as his lips met hers. There was a phone ringing and it nagged the hell out of him. He was kissing Thatcher and he was going to tell her how much he loved her and the phone had to start ringing. Moving away from her, he snatched his phone out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open. "Vecchio." The phone kept ringing. He slapped it several times, but no matter what he did, it kept ringing.

Thatcher gave him a haughty look. "If a phone call is more important to you, then we are through." She began walking away from him. He tried to drop the phone, but it was like it was glued to his hand and all it did was ring louder and louder. "Meg! No! Come back! I love you!" She began to float away, not even bothering to look back at him. "Meg!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ray struggled against the sheets that he was tangled in. Sitting up, he rubbed at his eyes. His heart was racing in his chest. "It's a dream...it's only a dream." He blinked in the darkness. He heard his cell phone ringing insistently from his jacket pocket. Getting up, he stubbed his toe on the dresser, cursing as he hopped his way over to his jacket hanging over the back of a chair. Digging frantically in the pocket, he smiled. Maybe Thatcher missed him and she was making a late night call to admit her love for him. He flipped the phone open, smoothing his voice out into a sexy purr. "Vecchio."

His smile faded as he listened to the voice on the other end. Closing his eyes, he ran a hand over his head then across his face. "Yeah...yeah...uh huh. Detective Raymond Vecchio, 27th precinct, Chicago. Yeah...I'll be right there. Yeah...thanks." Snapping the phone shut, he stared down at it. This couldn't be happening to him. He still had to be dreaming. Looking down at his feet, he knew he wasn't. His big toe throbbed and ached from him stubbing it. With a weary sigh, he began to dress. He stalked down the hall, feeling annoyed and just a little bit embarrassed. When he reached the small room with the name of the person who called him, he knocked on the door. A voice called out from the other side. "Come in." Opening the door, Ray glared at the two figures huddled together a small sofa. Looking away, he stepped forward and shook hands with the man behind the desk.

"Detective Vecchio." The man stood and grinned at him. "Detective Russell." His grin turned into a smile as he hook a thumb at the two guilty looking figures on the sofa. "You know these two?" Crossing his arms, Ray frowned. "Unfortunately I do." Stepping forward, he lowered his voice, his anger building every second that he looked at them.

"Benny, what in the hell is the matter with you? Haven't I told you guys you'd get caught some day?" "Ray, I..." "Don't Ray, me! I told you and Frannie to knock it the hell off, but did you listen to me? No. Why? Because you never do." Francesca opened her mouth and Ray turned on her, pointing a finger in her face. "I don't want to hear it. You two...ya know, I ought to leave you guys here the rest of the vacation. That would teach you a lesson."

Fraser's eyes widened and Francesca glared at Ray. "You wouldn't dare, Ma would kill you." Ray gave her an incredulous look. "She'd kill me? No she wouldn't because she'd die of humiliation before that would happen. Haven't you two ever thought about what you do and how it could affect her? She knows everyone around here and they all know her. How do you think she'd react?" Fraser and Francesca lowered their heads slightly. "Yeah, now you feel guilty. It's a little too late for that."  
Turning to Detective Russell, Ray frowned slightly. "What charges are you gonna give 'em?" Detective Russell smiled and almost laughed. "Being that we're all in the same profession, I think I'll let them slide with a warning. I don't think it would look very good having me arrest a constable from Canada and his wife who just happens to have a brother who's a detective." Ray let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. If you're ever in Chicago and you need anything, just come to me and I'll do whatever it takes." They shook hands and Ray gave Russell a grateful smile. Turning toward Fraser and Francesca, he pasted a glare back on his face. "Come on you two rabbits, let's go." As they got into the Riv, Ray snapped at Fraser. "Oh no you don't. Frannie can sit in back, you in sit in front." Francesca scowled at Ray. "You're bein ridiculous." As they slid into the car, Ray started the engine and twisted around in the seat to glare at his sister. "So, I'm ridiculous huh? Who's the one that got caught humpin on a public beach? Who's the one that didn't have enough sense to stay in their hotel room?" Fraser cleared his throat and Ray turned back around and shook his head.

"You? You suggested doin that?" Fraser rubbed a thumb nervously over his eyebrow and cleared his throat again as he tucked his blushing face down. His voice was a whisper. "Yes Ray." "Jesus...what am I supposed to do with you? You never use to do crap like this? Why'd you havfta go and change so much? I've said it before and I guess I'll be sayin it over and over, Frannie's ruined you."

As they pulled away from the police station, Fraser nervously picked at the material of his shorts and then began rubbing at the scar on his thigh. "Ray, Francesca isn't the cause of my behavior, it...this is who I really am." Ray shot Fraser a look and laughed. "What...you're a horny rabbit?" Fraser looked out the windshield and took a deep breath.

"No...it's...I always have been a bit of a...I like to..." He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes briefly, picturing the man that he was before he had come to Chicago. It would be the only way he could explain it to Ray. "Before I came here...to Chicago...I was a bit reckless. I had been labeled relentless. There were even those that had told me I was more ruthless than anything." Ray snorted. "Ruthless? You?" Francesca sat silently in the back seat knowing that deep in heart, Fraser was telling the truth.

Ray peeked at Fraser, ready to offer up another smart comment, when the image of him attacking Tom with his hunting knife flashed through his mind. Yes, Fraser could be ruthless when it was called for. "Okay, so you get carried away with your duty, we all do it one time or another." Fraser began rubbing at the scar on his leg again.

"Ray, it's not that I get carried away with my duties it's...I follow the law to the letter and getting from point a to point b is all that has ever mattered. I've managed to tame my way of handling things while I've been in Chicago. I still have problems controlling myself, but I do it. Lately I've been having more trouble with doing it. 'I' wanted us to be on the beach. I wanted to be near the ocean. It's...I had to do it. Do you understand?"

Ray gripped the steering column and thought of him and Thatcher coupling in the side office at the consular event. At any moment someone could have come in on them and they would have been in the same situation as Fraser and his sister, only for Thatcher it could have cost her career. He sighed and nodded his head yes, not noticing the smile that Francesca wore when he did it. "Yeah...I can understand, but Benny...please promise me, you and Frannie won't pull another stunt like this again."

Fraser shocked both Francesca and Ray with his answer. "No, I can't Ray." Ray turned a corner and headed toward the hotel where Fraser and Francesca were staying. "You can't huh? You and Frannie are gonna hump out in public all the time?" Fraser sighed loudly. "No Ray, Francesca and I...I can't make a promise because I don't know how I'll feel about certain situations. I'd rather say no and not have to worry about breaking a promise." Ray shook his head and pulled the Riv in front of the hotel. Leaning back in the seat, he ran a hand around his neck and rubbed at his tense muscles.

"Ya know...I ain't always gonna be around to bail you two out." Francesca snorted. "You didn't bail us out, they let us go." "You know what I mean Frannie." He gave Fraser a serious look. "Just watch what you do from now on. Think a little, okay?" Fraser cocked his head to the side and gave Ray a thoughtful look before opening the car door and helping Francesca out. Leaning into the Riv, he gave Ray a small smile, surprising him. "I'll think about it. Thank you kindly for coming and getting us. I'm sorry that we caused you any embarrassment." With that he took Francesca's hand and the pair disappeared into the hotel.

Ray sat for a few minutes, partly in shock at the way Fraser was acting and partly wanting to cheer the man on for finally loosing up. Things were moving too quickly instead of slowing down. Putting the Riv back in gear, he pulled away from the hotel and looked at the clock on the dash. It was three in the morning, another sleepless night. Maybe he could get a bit of sleep if the kids were quiet when they got up. If not, he'd have to nap on the beach or he'd be dead the rest of the day.

 

A warm breeze wafted over his chest as the sun baked his skin to a healthy golden tone. He could hear the sounds of the children laughing as they ran along the shore line and played in the surf. He wanted to join them, but he was too exhausted. His mother's voice call softly over to him. "Raymondo, it's time for you to turn over." Without opening his eyes, Ray rolled himself over on to his stomach, laying his face in crossed arms. He desperately wanted to go to sleep, but he couldn't with his mind racing a million miles a minute. There were too many things for him to think about. Fraser and his sister getting caught having sex, his job, what he wanted in his relationship with Thatcher. The bulk of his ponderings centered on her. He had been thinking of what he wanted to do when he went home. A nice romantic dinner out and then he and she somehow going some where to spend some quality time alone.

The more he thought of Thatcher, the more he knew what he really wanted to do, but he also didn't want to make himself look like a jackass. Lifting his head up slightly, he opened his eyes and peered down at the ocean's edge, watching Fraser and Francesca helping Angelo build a sand castle. They were constantly touching, reaching over to steal a kiss or two, smiling lovingly at one another. He wanted what they had.

Sighing, he tucked his head down on his arms once more. He knew exactly what he wanted to do when he got home, but if he did it, his entire family would call him a hypocrite. He now understood what Fraser and his sister had been telling him all along. Love didn't have a time table. Love wasn't measured in months, it was something intangible that was shared between two souls...and he knew he had found the soul that went with his. He could feel it deep down in his bones. Thatcher was the one.

There was one major obstacle to the entire situation. Well actually two. Money and his family. He wasn't a rich man by any means, but he managed to survive. He was the breadwinner of the family, the one that everyone depended on. Even with Tony finally working, things were tight. There were so many things that had to be done to the house. A new furnace was needed, the wiring had to be updated.

Even if money wasn't an issue, he didn't think that Thatcher would want to move into his house with the rest of the Vecchio clan. Sure Francesca didn't live there any more, but that only meant that one room was empty. There were still three other adults and three children. The option of him living with Thatcher was a definite no. He couldn't afford to pay for the house and help with the bills of her apartment and there was no way he'd let her pay for everything if he were living with her. Then again...what if she didn't want him? *Nah!*

Lifting his head again, Ray looked around. It was a perfect day and here he was laying on a blanket doing absolutely nothing. What a waste. Feeling restless, he sat up and dug through the pile of magazines by his mother's chair. *Vogue, Celebrity Hair Styles, Parenting Magazine...crap...crap...huh?* He pulled an issue of Architectural Digest from the pile, giving his mother a curious look. She smiled and nodded her head out toward Francesca.

"She is thinking of doing some work in the yard. There is an article on walkways and gazebos." "And where does she think she'll get the money to have that stuff done?" Ma smiled and shook her head. "Benton said that whatever she wanted done, he would do it." Ray thought about how Fraser had transformed the dump of a house into a home and he knew that the Mountie wasn't boasting, it was just a fact. "Yeah...I guess he could do it."

Flopping back on the blanket, Ray rolled over on his stomach and began flipping through the pages. These were the type of homes that Thatcher should be living in. This was what she deserved, not being shoved in some crowded run down Victorian home. Turning a few more pages, he tried to push away any negative thoughts. He couldn't do much about the money he made, so what worry himself to death. If Thatcher truly did love him, then what he made wouldn't be a big issue between them.

As he turned the page, his heart skipped a beat. Quickly turning to the next page, he tried to calm down. Leafing through the magazine, he nervously swallowed after he saw another page just like the other one. Running a shaking hand over his face, he let out the breath he had been holding. Staring at the ad, he knew he had to do it. If he didn't, he might end up losing out on the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He let his finger trace the contours of the band. Then he counted the number of stones in the setting. Letting his eyes trail down to the price he almost choked. There was no way he could do it. If Thatcher really did love him, then she'd just have to settle for a regular engagement ring. His heart constricted at the thought. He, Ray Vecchio, was about to take the biggest step in his life...again. Asking a woman to marry him. He hoped this would be the last one he'd have to ask, but more importantly...she would say yes.

 

Ray kept flipping through the magazine until his eyes slowly closed. The exhaustion finally caught up with him and he slept soundly. Mrs. Vecchio smiled softly at the quietly sleeping figure on the blanket. It seemed like it was only yesterday when she had lain him on a blanket on this same beach as a child, naked as the day he was born. Closing her eyes, the memories came back to her. His smiling cherub-like face, his chubby legs kicking in excitement. Underneath the shade of the umbrella, she had played with her son, not even thinking of the future, just enjoying the moment for what it was.

Opening her eyes, she blinked back tears. Too many years had flow by. So many memories, good and bad had accumulated and now she felt like an old woman. She 'was' an old woman. No husband to tell her how much she was loved. No baby of her own to sing songs to. Looking along the shoreline, she felt the heaviness in her chest lift.

No, she would never have another child of her own. Her babies were all adults that no longer needed to be held and sung to. Her lips quirked into a smile as she watched her last born. Francesca would soon be bringing her own children into the world and they would be loved by more than just one person.

Sighing, she made a decision. Placing the magazine in her hands down, she stood and brushed the sand from the back of her legs. Pulling at the material of her bathing suit, relieving the slight wedgie. Smoothing down the front, she frowned. There was a time when she had been as thin and lithe as Francesca. Those days were gone as well. She would be back in time to wake Ray so that he wouldn't burn.

Walking down to the churning surf, the children rushed up to her excitedly, dancing around her, screaming in delight. Francesca's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Ma?" "I want to swim with my family." Francesca's face split into a huge smile and she squeezed Fraser's hand in hers. Leaning toward him, she whispered excitedly as her mother and the children entered the surf. "Benton, she hasn't ever gone in the water!" "Never?" "Not since I can remember. She's always sat and watched us." "Hum." "You said it! Come on, let's go join them." Ray rolled over and looked around. The beach chair next to his blanket was empty. "Ma?" Sitting up, he looked around and his mouth dropped open. Scrambling to his feet, he quickly made his way down to the surf and waded in. Reaching Fraser and Francesca, he gave Francesca a wide eyed look, his smile growing bigger by the second. Francesca smiled back at him. "I know...I can't believe it either!"

The entire family played in the water, then as a group they ate lunch, everyone chattering happily. Life was good. The warmth and joy that surrounded them this day would last for the remainder of the trip and even stretch out for the next few months. They were a family like they had been years ago. Before their father became abusive. Before he drank himself to death.

Things didn't get any better than this. Fraser took one last look at the ocean, breathing in deeply. He would miss the sights of the gulls as they flew through the clear blue sky. He would miss the sound of the surf as it rolled across the sand. The two weeks spent frolicking with the Vecchio's had rejuvenated him both physically and mentally. Looking at his golden colored skin, he smiled. It had been a long time since he had looked like this.

He heard her quiet footsteps coming up behind him and then Francesca's arms wrapped themselves around his waist as she tucked against his side. "Wasn't this the best vacation?" "Yes Francesca, it was." Turning to her, he bent down and place a kiss on her lips, then hugged her to him. "Thank you for showing me how to play again." She hugged him back and snickered. "Thanks for swimmin with me." Clasping their hands together, they made their way around the house to the packed cars as Ray tossed in the last suitcase.

"Okay everyone, if you have to go, go now 'cause I'm not stoppin until we get out of the city!" Ray looked around as no one paid him any attention. Francesca grabbed the keys for the house out of his hand. "I'll go check the house and lock up, you get everyone in the cars." Trotting away from them, Francesca went in the house and checked each room. Looking around guiltily, she grabbed a pen from her shorts pocket and snuck into the small bedroom at the back of the house.

Making her way to the closet, she drug a chair over and climbed up on it. A smile snuck it's way across her lips as she looked at the very back of the closet on the top shelf. Her name was scrawled first in crayon and as the years went by, it became more refined. Reaching up, she signed her name and dated it, grinning as the name Frannie Vecchio was now replaced by Francesca Fraser. Capping the pen, she jumped off the chair and put it back in place.

Making a side trip to the bathroom, she finished checking the house, satisfied that everything was in order. Turning the lights off, she stepped outside and pulled the door shut, locking it. Ray stood by the Riv with his arms crossed, giving her an irritated look. "You took long enough." Tossing the keys to Ray, she stuck her tongue out and walked around the car to where Fraser held the door open for her. Sliding in, she sighed happily. Yes this definitely had been the best vacation ever.

 

Ray hummed to himself as he toweled off in the bathroom. Today was his first day back at work. They had arrived home late last night after dropping off a very sleepy Fraser and Francesca. He had unpacked the Riv and crawled into bed, relieved to be back home again. Brushing his teeth, he rinsed his mouth and then raised a brush to his near bald pate and frowned. Putting the brush down, he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed to his room.

As he dressed, he thought about seeing Thatcher for the first time in two weeks. He found himself wondering how much she had missed him, if at all. She had said that she did, but that was only after he had sent her flowers. Straightening his tie, he went down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was strange walking in and not finding Francesca sitting at the table eating a bagel and drinking her tea.

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he picked up a piece of notebook paper laying on the counter. On it was the unmistakable handwriting of his cousin Tanya. Each letter was swirled and smiley faces dotted the paper. He found himself grinning. Tanya never cared if anyone called her fluffy or empty headed. She'd only smile sweetly and then get her brother Anthony to beat the crap out of them.

As he read the note, he cringed. She wrote that she and 'Ren' had made sure that everything had been taken care of and that 'they' would be visiting them tomorrow night, which would mean today. Ray found his chest tightening. Tossing the paper back on the counter he downed the coffee and placed the empty cup in the sink. Turnbull. Why him? All he could picture was having to see Turnbull at every family gathering. Before he would know it, there would be a sea of red serge in their backyard, every single one of them standing ramrod straight and spewing thank yous and your welcomes.

Shivering, he shook the image out of his head. Maybe he would luck out and his cousin would wake up and smell the coffee. Better yet, Uncle Guido would probably kick the living shit out of the hapless Mountie the moment he stepped out of line and that would be that. He felt the tension slowly leave his body. He had nothing to worry about. Uncle Guido was the biggest hard ass in all of Chicago. Whistling happily he made his way down the hall, grabbed his coat and practically skipped out the front door. Sliding behind the wheel of the Riv, he started the car and went to pick up Fraser. As he neared their house, Ray shook his head. Francesca was out by the curb hugging Fraser. She didn't have to be back at work until the next day. *Lucky shit.* Pulling up to the curb, he gave them both a pained look. Francesca smiled at him before reaching up to give Fraser a kiss. As he turned from her, she pinched his ass, laughing as he jumped forward and fell into the car door. Ray yelled at her. "Frannie, knock it off!"

Fraser's face flushed a deep red as he rubbed at his backside. He turned to admonish Francesca, but he couldn't do it. She looked so sweet and cute in her robe, almost childlike. The smile on her face was infectious. He gave her a sheepish grin in return. "Have a good day Benton. I'll see you at lunch." "Goodbye Francesca." He quickly got in the car as she smiled brightly at him, waving a hand at Ray, she ran up to the house, watching them as they left. Fraser craned his neck to look at her as they moved down the road, giving her one last wave goodbye.

"That's enough Benny." "What Ray?" "You're makin me sick actin like that. You two have been married for two weeks now." "And should we be acting any different?" "Well...yeah! It's not like you haven't seen each other." Fraser leaned back in the seat and smoothed his uniform out, sensing that Ray was in the mood to crab at him. He did his usual misdirection. "Are you going to see Meg today?"

Ray kept his eyes on the road and shrugged his shoulders, trying to act nonchalant. "Yeah. I'm gonna see her before I go to work." "Francesca said to ask you if you and Meg would care to come to dinner this evening." "Uh...I'll havfta ask her. I was gonna see if she maybe wanted to go out tonight." "Ah...I'm sorry. I didn't think. You and she haven't been in one anothers company for two weeks."

Ray twisted in his seat, swearing that Fraser was teasing him. He was right. There was no mistaking the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and the slight quirk at the corners of his mouth. *Why that son of a bitch!*

"So...what's wrong with going out to dinner?" "Nothing is wrong with it Ray." "Yeah...well...knock it off!" "Moody." "I'm not moody." Fraser smiled slightly and raised his eyebrows. Ray could feel his face growing hot. "Don't say it." "Say what Ray?" "Ya know...you have a dirty mind." "What are you insinuating Ray?" Ray spat the words out. "You're a pig!" "I don't understand?" "What's there to understand! You think Meg and I don't want to come over for dinner cause we want to screw around. Well guess what?! You're wrong!"

Ray gripped the steering wheel tightly, not believing he had said what he just said. Fraser smiled back at him and it took all he had to not reach over and slap him. "Then I should let Francesca know that you and Meg shall be coming over for dinner this evening?" Ray's lips thinned as he clamped them tightly shut. *Don't do it...don't say it.* He gritted his teeth as he spoke. "Yeah...we'll be over for dinner."

"Good. I'll call Francesca as soon as we get to the consulate and let her know. Would you prefer chicken or pork roast?" Ray drew in a deep breath and released it. "Either one, it doesn't matter." "I'll tell Francesca to make chicken. Do either of you want wine?" "Benny, just tell Frannie to make whatever she wants and we'll drink whatever you already have." "She said that she was going to grocery shop today and that I should call her with a list of produce and meats." "I don't care, tell her to get whatever." Fraser nodded his head yes, knowing that Ray was reaching the breaking point. He remained quiet for the remainder of the ride.

Pulling up to the curb, Fraser smoothly stepped out of the Riv. As he walked up the steps of the consulate, he smiled. It was good to be home. He wasn't really home, but this small area was Canadian soil and it was good enough for him. Looking up at the red and white flag waving in the breeze, he heart swelled with emotion. His job may not have been what he was trained for, but he served his country with pride.

He listened to Ray's footsteps following him into the building, the smile on his face growing bigger. He and Francesca had done well in matching up Ray and Thatcher. As he walked down the hall, he spied Turnbull. Francesca had asked him to 'corner' Turnbull and 'get every bit of dirt' about how things had gone with him and Tanya. Turning to Ray, he nodded at him. "Thank you for the ride to work Ray, I'll see you this afternoon." Without waiting for Ray's reply, he turned and made his way to Turnbull's desk.

Ray paused, trying to decide if he wanted to go and grill Turnbull. He noticed the purposeful stride that Fraser had and he smiled evilly. Fraser was going to do the dirty work for him. He'd ask Fraser at dinner what had gone on while they were on vacation. Walking over to Thatcher's office door, he smooth his suit down and ran a nervous hand over his head. Raising his fist, he knocked on the door. Thatcher's command voice rang out. "Come in!" Pushing the door open, Ray braced himself. This was do or die. Either she missed him or she didn't. His life depended on how she felt at this moment.

 

Ray stepped in Thatcher's office and quietly shut the door behind him. Without looking up from her paperwork, she snapped at him. "What do you want?" He stood in place, completely dumbfounded. Apparently she hadn't missed him at all. Her tone was cold. He didn't move, feeling like a complete ass. He had gone and thrown his heart away again on someone who wouldn't be returning his love. Just like with Angie, he had misjudged every thing. Reaching back, he fumbled with the door knob. "I'm sorry I bothered you."

At the sound of his voice, Thatcher's head jerked up, then she snatched the glasses from her face, shoving them in the desk. As he opened the door and turned to leave, she yelled at him. "Wait...don't leave! I mean...Ray...I'm sorry. I thought you were Turnbull...I...please come in." His legs felt like rubber as he closed the door and walked over to stand in front of her desk. She gave him an apologetic smile that faltered.

They stood on opposite sides of the desk staring at one another. Gesturing at her wrist, Thatcher gave him a small smile. "I like the bracelet you sent me." Ray looked at the gold band gleaming on her small pale wrist. He felt himself relaxing. If Thatcher didn't like him, she wouldn't still be wearing his Valentine's gift to her. "It looks nice on you." He could see that she was still uncomfortable. This wasn't how he wanted it to be.

Looking her straight in the eye, he smiled. "I guess Turnbull's been gettin on your nerves lately?" He watched as her whole stance relaxed and she rolled her eyes. "You have no idea Ray. I was counting the days for Fraser's return." He raised an eyebrow at her. "So you missed Benny more than you missed me?" She could tell that he was teasing her by the tone of his voice. Her lips finally formed a smile. "Yes I missed Constable Fraser, but only as a valued servant of Canada."

Walking around the desk, Thatcher made her way over to Ray, the smile still on her face. Reaching her hands out, she adjusted his tie and ran a hand slowly down the front of his shirt. His breath caught in his throat at her touch. "I did miss you, Ray." Taking her hands, he brought them up to his lips and kissed them. "God, I missed you too." They looked briefly at each other before throwing themselves together, locking lips.

He couldn't have enough of her. As his lips met hers, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body tightly against his. His hands ran down her back, clutching her firm ass. Opening his mouth, he greedily sucked the tongue that thrust it's way into his. Before he knew it, he had her pinned against the desk, pushing his groin into hers. He balls ached as he felt himself tighten. He couldn't believe that he had gone months without having sex and now he was freaking out after only a two week absence.

Pulling slightly away, he panted, trying to gain some control over himself. Thatcher would have none of it. "Ray..." She nodded to the bathroom in the back of the office. His eyes widened. "Here?" Pushing him off of her, Thatcher grabbed him by the hand and drug him to the bathroom. Shoving him in the small room, she shut the door and locked it. Turning back to him, she smiled wickedly. "How much did you miss me?" "Jesus, Meg...you have no idea."

He threw himself at her, pushing her up against the door. Grinding against her, he worked his hands around and squeezed her ass again. She had the best ass...nice and tight. He felt her hands working his belt and then undoing his pants. It didn't take long before his pants dropped around his ankles and her hand was pumping him. He sucked in a breath as she stroked him roughly. Her grip was like iron. It felt so damn good.

Reaching under her skirt, Ray shoved his hand in her silk panties, running his fingers over her soft curls before slipping his fingers into her moist heat. She groaned as he moved his hand over her. He needed her. "Meg...I want you..." She kissed him passionately before pushing him away. Hiking her skirt up, she propped a foot against the sink, exposing herself to him. Ray's voice was tight whisper. "Oh Jesus..." To Thatcher's surprise, when he came to her, he dropped to his knees and buried his face in her center, licking her roughly with his tongue. She let out a loud yelp and ran her free hand over his smooth head.

"Oh God yes Ray...that's...oh...yes...that feels...there...yes...like that..." She thrust her hips forward as he moved his tongue in her, licking and probing every inch of her slick opening. When his fingers moved into her, pumping in a smooth rhythm as he licked her, she bit her lips to keep from screaming. Panting in short breaths she leaned back against the wall as she came.

Ray smiled as he felt her spasm against his lips. Peeking up, he gloried in the look of ecstasy on Thatcher's face as she arched her back. She looked lovely. Standing he pushed her skirt around her waist, moving himself between her still spread legs. She looked at him through half lidded eyes, smiling seductively at him. He kept his eyes locked with hers as he pushed his length into her dripping opening. He slid in, reveling in her slickness. There wasn't any friction, only the warm softness wrapping itself tightly around his throbbing member.

Wrapping his hands around her waist, he began to plunge into her, using short rapid strokes. "Oh yeah Meg...you're so...God you're tight." She grabbed him by the face and kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. It didn't take long before he was cumming, the feeling overwhelmed him as he emptied himself into her. He couldn't stop, even when he felt himself getting that painful tightness, that tickle. He wanted to keep loving her.

They stood locked together, leaning their foreheads against each other, both breathing heavily. Ray could feel a trickle of sweat run down his back and down the crack of his ass. As his breathing slowed, he also noticed how shaky his legs were and how close he was to collapsing. "Meg...I gotta..." "Yes...I know..." They pulled apart, staring at one another. He knew that he must look like a mess because Thatcher looked like she had just finished an aerobic work out. Her face was coated in a sheen of sweat and her clothing was all wrinkled and out of place.

She was the first one to use some sense. Grabbing a wad of paper toweling, she wet it in the sink, handing it to Ray so that he could clean himself off. By the time they had cleaned up and put their clothing back into place, Ray frowned as he looked at his watch. "I'm late for work." Thatcher gave him a smile as they walked back into her office. "I can call Lieutenant Welsh and tell him that you stopped by here for a special project." Ray smiled back at her and shook his head. "Nah...I can't do that."  
Picking his coat up from the floor, he gave her a smile and leaned forward, giving her a kiss. "Ya know one of these days we'll get to be alone somewhere nice." She smiled back at him as she made her way back to her desk. "I have nothing planned for this evening. You could come to my apartment for dinner." He closed his eyes and sighed. Looking at her, he frowned. "Benny and Frannie invited us over to their house for dinner tonight." "Really?" "Yeah." "Oh...I guess we'll have to make arrangements for dinner at my place some other time." "That'd be nice."

Looking at his watch again, he motioned toward the door. "I hate to...well you know...I got to go to work. Call me later?" "I can arrange that." She reached forward again and straightened his tie again and kissed him. He started laughing as her tongue met his. Moving away, he shook his head. "Isn't this how it started?" She shrugged her shoulders innocently, giving him a bright smile. "I don't think you were complaining before. "No, I'll never complain." Kissing her quickly, he backed away. "I'll see you tonight."

As he moved to leave the room, he felt his ass being pinched. Jumping forward, he twisted around, bringing a hand around to rub at the spot on his butt. Thatcher laughed silently and closed the door in his face. He had a stupid grin on his face that faded as he turned. Both Fraser and Turnbull were standing at the end of the hall staring at him. Turnbull quickly looked down at some paper work in his hands, Fraser smirked knowingly at him. He could feel his face growing hot. Glaring at Fraser, he turned and stalked out of the building. As he made his way down to the Riv, Ray continued rubbing at the smarting part of his ass that Thatcher had pinched. His steps faltered and then he came to a complete stop.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. He and Thatcher were no better than his sister and Fraser. From having wild sex in an inappropriate place to being pinched on the ass, they were too much alike. He hated to admit it to himself, but Fraser was right. Right about everything. Love got you when you least expected it and once it grabbed you by the throat you had no control over your actions. Forcing himself forward, he decided to move things even faster. He'd use his lunch time to begin the search for a ring.

 

He felt like he was sneaking around like a criminal, but it was all legal. Carmine had been doing business like this for years. Opening the door to the old building, Ray stepped in and closed it softly behind him. Sitting behind an old oak desk, sat a small grizzled man, his face tucked down as he checked the stones on the desktop before him. Ray knew why old man Carmine didn't worry about being robbed or leaving his jewels and money laying about the office. He was protected. His business served the mob for years, but in a legal capacity. No one dared to mess with him. If they did they knew they were dead.

Walking to the desk, Ray stood without speaking, waiting to be told what to do. You also had to show Carmine respect or he'd tell you to get the hell out. Without looking up, the old man gestured to the stiff backed chair by Ray's side. "Sit." Ray took his coat off and folded it over his arm, sitting down and watching him poke and prod at what looked like diamonds scattered across a sheet of black velvet. Carmine picked up a stone and held it out to Ray. "What do you think, eh?"

Ray took the stone and rolled it in his palm, watching the light sparkle and dance off it's highly polished surface. "It's nice." Carmine smiled and took the stone from him. "Yes, it is nice." Pushing back from the desk, Carmine looked Ray over. "And what can I do for you, Raymond?" Ray sat straighter and swallowed the nervousness building inside of him. "I'm...uh...I'm lookin for a diamond. An engagement ring." Carmine raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk appearing on his face.

"You're taking another chance at marriage, eh? That's good. You're too nice a boy to not be married. You should have had a family years ago." "Yeah...well some things didn't work out too well." "Yes, I know. You and Angie..." Carmine shook his head making tsking noises. "She always wanted too much and look what she got for being impatient. Women never know what they have or want until it's too late." Reaching to his side, he pulled a large box from the bottom drawer of the desk. Placing it on the desk, he opened the lid.

"Pear shaped, solitaire, princess, marquis...what do you have in mind? Does the lady have a preference or are you choosing the ring?" "She doesn't know...should I ask her what type of ring she likes?" "No, no, no! If you start asking, she'll know what you're planning. Don't ruin the moment." Carmine folded his arms across his chest. "What type of jewelry does she wear?" Ray thought about what Thatcher wore. The only thing he ever saw her with was plain gold earrings, that funky green broach and the gold bracelet that he bought her.

"She doesn't wear alot of jewelry." "Good, that's good Raymond. She won't want anything fancy. It'll save you some money." Carmine shook his head. "It use to be in the old days that a woman would be thrilled to get a gold band. Then they started wanting big diamonds and now they have to junk the ring up with all sorts of nonsense. It's good for my business, but for a relationship? If your love is based on the size of the ring, then the marriage is doomed."

Picking up a gold band with a single round diamond, he held it out to Ray. "Plain, but elegant." Ray held the ring in his fingers, looking at the stone. It wasn't very large. "Is this woman going to be staying at home to raise your children?" Ray looked up from the ring and frowned slightly. "No...she's...her job is kinda important." Carmine smirked. "A woman's job is never more important than your family Raymond. Never forget that." Ray tried to keep his mouth shut. Carmine was from the old school of thinking. Handing the ring back, he tried to keep calm.

"Do you have a bigger stone?" Carmine placed the ring back and handed Ray another. "So what does she do? Is she a seamstress? Does she work in a shop?" Looking Carmine in the eye, Ray kept his voice neutral, though some pride did manage to slip through. "She's the Inspector in charge of the Canadian Consulate." Carmine's eyebrows rose a fraction. "A big job for a woman." "Yeah, well she's damn good at it." Ray flinched inwardly. He might have just ruined his chances at getting a good deal. *Oh boy.*

Carmine chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "A bit proud of this woman are you?" "Yeah...yeah I am. She's got class." Taking the ring from Ray, Carmine placed it back in the box and then closed the lid. Ray felt his stomach drop. *Damn, I fucked up.* To his surprise, Carmine reached in another drawer and pulled a smaller box out. Opening it, he took a ring out and brushed the stray diamonds on the black velvet cloth aside. Laying the ring down, he waved a hand at it. "This is class Raymond. Look at it and tell me if this is how you see her."

The gold band was a bit thicker than normal, but it looked right. The stone was rectangular shape with a smaller, thin rectangular stone set on either side of it. It was simple, but not plain. Like Carmine said, it was classy. It was Meg. She always managed to look like she came from money, even when she was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Ray reached out to pick up the ring and then hesitated. "May I?" Carmine waved a hand at him and he picked the ring up, turning it over in his fingers. It was beautiful, just like Thatcher.

Placing it back down on the velvet cloth, Ray leaned back in his chair, then he looked Carmine in the eye. "How much?" Picking the ring up, Carmine rolled it over in his hand. "Twenty-seven hundred is the market price." Ray felt himself sag. "For you...I can make it twenty one. It's the best I can do. If anyone found out how low a price I gave you, they would all want that price."

Ray knew the old man wasn't lying to him. He had looked at some rings on the way over at some 'regular' jewelry stores and he remembered the prices on some rings when he and Fraser had looked for Frannie's wedding band. He knew he wasn't going to do any better than this and he knew that Thatcher would love it. If she accepted his proposal that is.

Blowing the air out of his lungs with a slow exhale, Ray opened his wallet. He had made a stop at the bank and had withdrawn a large chuck of his savings. Money that was ear marked for some new suits and a new engine for the Riv. Counting the bills out, he placed them on the table.

The old man stood and slowly limped his way over to a cabinet. Taking a box out, he placed the ring in it and snapped it shut. Turning back to Ray, he walked over and held the box out to him. Taking the box, Ray felt his chest tighten. He had done it. He had bought a ring. Carmine reached down and took the money and stuffed it carelessly in his pocket. Walking back around the desk, he sat down. "It was nice doing business with you Raymond. I hope this marriage works and you have the family you deserve."

Standing, Ray felt his legs wobble slightly. "Um...yeah...thank you very much Carmine. I appreciate everything." Carmine smiled and waved a hand at him. "It's my business." He wagged a finger at him. "If the ring is too big, you bring it back to me and I'll fix it right away." "Yes sir...I will...thank you sir." Ray knew he was being dismissed when Carmine bent his hunched back over the desk again.

Walking out the door, Ray made his way to the Riv and got in. Starting the engine, he let it idle. Opening the box, he stared down at the two thousand and one hundred dollar expression of eternal commitment, or as some people joked, the ball and chain. He had done it. He had a ring. Now all he had to do was think of a romantic was to propose to Thatcher and hope to hell that she didn't say no.

 

Pulling in front of Thatcher's apartment, Ray turned the ignition off and stared up at the building. He had to be crazy. He bought an engagement ring. What in the hell had he been thinking? There was no way in hell Thatcher would accept a proposal of marriage from him. They hadn't been together very long and really didn't know that much about one another. Sure the sex was great, but that didn't mean that they would make a good husband and wife. It took more than hot sex to make a marriage work. He had failed miserably at it the first time, what made him think this would be any different?

Getting out of the Riv, he straightened the sweater that he wore and made his way up the stairs to the apartment. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled loudly. Why in the hell was he feeling this way? Running a shaking hand over his head, he shook his arms out trying to relieve the tension. Thatcher made him nervous. She made him feel like a teenager gawking at one of the pom pom girls at football practice. Just like then, the girl, or in this case, the woman of his dreams was way out of his league.  
"Vecchio, will you never learn? Why can't you ever pick someone that's more in your league. Jesus, I'm a dumb ass." Raising a fist to the door, he hesitated, then turned away. Walking a few steps down the hall, he stopped and stood still. Turning back, he strode to the door and rapped sharply on it. He wasn't a quitter and never would be. If Thatcher didn't want him, then fine, but he sure in the hell wasn't going to give up without ever knowing how she felt.

The door flew open, startling him. Thatcher leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Come on in Ray, I have to finish getting ready." She talked over her shoulder as she rushed out of the room. "Make yourself comfortable." Walking over to the sofa, he flopped down. "Get ready? Shit, you look fine to me." Picking up a magazine, he flipped through it, frowning the entire time. It was a Canadian magazine that touted life in Toronto and how wonderful everything was there. He knew Thatcher loved Toronto. Why would she stay in Chicago? Not for him that was for sure.

Tossing the magazine down, he jumped as Thatcher's cat Maggie leapt up on the back of the sofa. The cat eyed him as she picked her claws into the material of the sofa. Walking along the back, she sniffed at Ray's shoulder before jumping down in his lap. He froze, not knowing what to do. He didn't really like cats. Cats always ended up scratching the shit out of him. They shed all over the place. He hated cats. To his surprise, Maggie began rubbing he head against his hand, purring loudly.

He began to slowly pet her, smiling as the cat kept rubbing against him. Her purring grew louder and she turned her back to him, digging her claws through the material of his pants, kneading at his flesh. He hissed in pain and stopped petting Maggie. Then she lay down, tucking her paws beneath her, purring contentedly. Taking a chance, he ran his hand over her small head, smiling as the purring grew louder again. "You're not such a bad puss are ya?"

Thatcher stood in the entrance to the living room and smiled. She knew that Ray was the one. Maggie had hissed at and bit so many of her male visitors that she had thought that maybe her feline companion just plain hated men. Apparently she was a better judge of the male of the species than she was. Maggie liked Ray. Smiling, she walked into the room. "I see Maggie approves of you. That's a good sign." Looking up at Thatcher, Ray smiled.

"Ya know, I've never had a cat let me pet it before. Usually the little buggers scratch the shi...uh...they scratch me. Alot." Thatcher walked over and sat down next to Ray, scratching Maggie beneath the chin, grinning as the cat stood and stretched, then turned around and curled up in Ray's lap. "It appears that you have bonded with her." "Yeah...she is kind cute." Thatcher's eyebrow rose a fraction as she watched Ray stroke his hand down Maggie's back. With a sigh Ray looked down at the contented cat.

"I hate to do this Maggie, but Meg and I have a dinner to go to at Mr. and Mrs. Fraser house." Gently picking Maggie up, he stood and set her down on the sofa. Maggie meowed loudly and gave him an indignant look before jumping off of the sofa and running out of the room. Thatcher smiled. "It appears you've offended her." "Hey...I'll make it up to her, I'll buy her some catnip." Making their way to the door, Ray sighed. He really didn't want to go over to his sister's house. He wanted to spend all night in Thatcher's bed making love to her.

Thatcher sensed his mood and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We don't have to spend all evening there. I can always have you bring me home early. I do have to work tomorrow and so does Fraser and I know that he'll prefer to go to bed early as well." "Good, 'cause I really don't want to spend all night there." They left the apartment and drove over to Fraser and Francesca's house. Pulling in front of the small building, he found himself smiling. There were colorful pansies planted across the entire front of the house.

"Ya know, I never pictured Benny and Frannie bein such...I don't know...happy homemakers ya know. I mean, look at this place. It's like your typical home you see in Country Living." Thatcher grinned at him. "You read Country Living?" "No! I mean...well I've been in alot of hospital waiting rooms ya know. I have to spend my time doin something." Shaking her head, Thatcher snickered and leaning over giving Ray a kiss. Without another word, she got out of the Riv and waited for him to walk up to the house with her.

As they neared the door, Ray's mind went completely blank. What in the hell was he going to talk about all night? His palms began to sweat. What if Fraser and Francesca began to grill him and Thatcher on their relationship? A light bulb went off in his head. He knew what to do. Any time they would begin their interrogations, he would bring up Turnbull and Tanya or better yet, he'd get Francesca to talk about the house and babies. Anything to let him and Thatcher off the hook. As the door opened, he plastered a big smile on his face. It was going to be a long night.

Sitting at the dining room table, Ray found it hard to believe he was in what was his little sister's home from now on. Even though he knew she was married, he still felt as if she should be living in his house. The family's home. It seemed wrong in a way that she and Fraser hadn't stayed at the house, but he knew that it was also out of the question. The place was crammed full and Francesca had made no bones about having a passel of children as soon as possible.

When he and Thatcher had first entered the small home, he noticed right away how spotless everything was. He hadn't expected anything less. Francesca had been obsessive about keeping a clean home when she had been married to her first husband. *The bum.* Now that she was married to one of the most anal people Ray had even met, he knew that they would never have to worry about unexpected visitors and scrambling to pick things up.

Fraser had waved him and Thatcher off, directing them to the table. He and Francesca would be bringing out all of the food. As they began hauling the food out, Ray smiled at the look on Thatcher's face. She whispered to him as the happy couple walked back into the kitchen to bring out more food. "Is someone else coming over for dinner?" "Nah...Frannie's like Ma, she always cooks more in case someone drops in."

Ray's mouth watered as Francesca placed a roast chicken on the table. Fraser brought out a large bowl of spaghetti and set it next to it. Then came string beans, rolls and butter and then a platter of ravioli. After sitting down, Francesca nodded toward Ray. "You wanna say grace, Ray?" "No...I can't. That's the head of the family's job." He looked pointedly at Fraser who smiled slightly. "We'd really prefer if you'd do it Ray." He felt uneasy saying grace in another man's home, but if they both insisted that he do it, he wasn't about to make an ass of himself over it. Clasping his hands, he thought for a moment.

"God, thank you for this meal and the company that we keep. Remember those that aren't blessed with family like this and thank you for making Frannie a good cook like my Ma. Amen." Thatcher gave Ray a surprised look, having expected a more eloquent prayer from him. Francesca snickered and reached over to squeeze his arm. "Thanks Ray." "Hey it's true. No one can cook like Ma and you're not far behind her." Looking at Fraser he wagged a finger. "If you don't watch out, you're gonna be as fat as a cow soon."

Fraser frowned and placed a hand on his flat stomach. Francesca slapped his hand away from his body. "No, you are 'not' fat and you never will be. Look at Ray, is he fat? He eat like a pig and he's never gotten fat." Fraser looked at Ray and relaxed. Ray did eat like a pig and he never was fat, but they were two entirely different people with different metabolisms. A sharp whine from next to the table made him look down. He frown at Diefenbaker. "You on the other hand are over weight. Go lay down in the living room."

Dief whined again, adding a short growl to the end. "Mister, don't use that tone with me. Go." Francesca sighed and rolled her eyes. "He is not fat, Benton. Don't worry Dief, I'll make you up a plate." Fraser gave her a sharp look. "Oh don't worry, I'll take the skin off of the chicken and I'll give him some string beans." Fraser shook his head in annoyance as Diefenbaker trotted happily into the other room. "You spoil him." "So what, you spoil me." He smiled at her and sighed in defeat. "That's different." Ray interrupted them. "Okay, enough of the cooing, let's eat before this gets cold." Between mouthfuls of food, they chatted about everything and anything, enjoying one anothers company. Fraser and Francesca ushered Ray and Thatcher out to the living room and cleared the table. Bringing out desert and coffee, they sat and watched the television in between smatterings of talk about work and other every day mundane things. When Fraser yawned and excused himself with a guilty look, Ray looked down at his watch.

"Man, I'm sorry Benny, I didn't know it was so late." It was almost ten o'clock, way past the time that he and Thatcher had agreed on. So much for going back to her place and making out. They said their goodnights and thank yous and headed out to the Riv. As they pulled away, Thatcher took one last look at Fraser and Francesca as they closed the door to their home. She found herself longing for that type of life. *Don't be silly Meg.* Giving herself a mental shake, she sat back in the seat, stifling a yawn.

"I'm really sorry Meg. I know we said we'd go back to your place earlier, but I was...I don't know. I had a good time and all we did was sit around and talk." She smiled and rested a hand on his thigh. "I know what you mean. I never thought I could sit for hours talking to Fraser without him going into a long story." Ray snickered. "Yeah, I know what you mean." They stayed silent for a few minutes before Thatcher spoke up.

"I can't believe that I agreed to go shopping with your sister this weekend." "Me either. You have no idea how she can shop. I thought I would die the time I got stuck carting her around for Christmas. Man I'm glad Benny's the one that gets that privilege from now on." Thatcher's voice grew worried. "Is she really that bad?" Ray chuckled as he turned the Riv into Thatcher's apartment complex. "Wear sneakers and make sure you eat a good breakfast before you go." "Oh."

Pulling into what was fast becoming his customary parking spot, Ray placed the Riv in park. "I know you have to get up early so I won't go in." Thatcher sighed and gave him a forlorn look. "I don't see what all the fuss is about you staying the night with me. You're mother is being unreasonable." "Yeah, I know she is but unless we're engaged to be married, then I don't think I should stay over." Thatcher almost blurted out that maybe he should ask her and Ray almost broke down and reached for the glove box to pull out the ring and ask her to marry him right then and there. Instead they both smiled weakly at one another. Leaning forward, they kissed. Scooting closer, Ray wrapped his arms around her and they continued kissing.

Between kisses, Ray felt Thatcher's hand run over his crotch and then she undid his pants and freed him from the confinement of said pants. She pulled and stroked at him, all the while not breaking their kiss. Moaning into her mouth, Ray groaned as she pulled away from him and tucked her head down. As her lips enveloped the tip of his penis, he thrust slightly upward, sighing loudly as her moist hot mouth totally enveloped his length. Resting a hand on her head as it bobbed rhythmically up and down, he felt himself tightening.

"God Meg...oh yeah...man...Jesus Chris...yeah...oh yeah...stop...I'm gonna cum if you don't stop..." Pushing back against the seat, he groaned loudly as Thatcher pulled away and continued pulling at him. It only took one or two more twists of her hand before he spilled his seed all over the steering column and his pants. Panting heavily, he dropped bonelessly against the seat, pulling her to him, kissing her lips greedily. When they broke apart, he gave her a guilty look. "I didn't do anything for you." "You can rectify that the next time I see you." Giving him one last kiss, she smiled at him and exited the Riv.

He watched her enter the apartment complex, waiting for the lights to flicker on and off. When she finally signaled down to him, he looked at his lap in disgust. "Aw geez." His now limp penis lay lazily to the side. His pants were stained and he felt the sticky residue on the steering wheel. Taking out a handkerchief, he tried cleaning himself up as best as he could. Tucking himself back in, he sighed and gave one last look at the window to Thatcher's apartment. Starting the Riv, he drove off. This had to end. He'd have to think of a way to propose to her and do it soon or he'd go nuts. 

 

Carrying a folder of paper work, Francesca smiled as she neared her desk. She could see the small gold pin sitting in the center of the blotter. Setting the folder down, she flopped in her seat and giggled giddily as she picked the pin up. F. Fraser was engraved across it's gleaming surface. Her smile grew wider as she took the old F. Vecchio pin off. Pinning the new one on she smoothed her fingers over it before returning her attention to the older pin.

There were a lot of memories tied up in the old scratched up piece of metal. It represented her finally moving away from her image as a ditsy useless woman to someone who could be counted on to do her job thoroughly. She was trusted enough to handle confidential files and materials. The pin also represented her getting Fraser to take her seriously. Opening a drawer, she sighed dejectedly as she placed it in one of the divided compartments that held paper clips and other assorted office junk. "Bye bye Vecchio."

Closing the drawer, she began the task of sorting through the bin on the corner of her desk. As usual it was overflowing with work. "No rest for the weary Frannie." Grabbing a paper, she turned to the computer and began calling up information, jotting things down as she read it. Flipping the paper over, she moved on to the next paper. She was so engrossed in her work, that she didn't notice that someone had stopped and was now standing behind her. She jumped as a voice whispered in her ear, causing the hairs on her neck to stand on edge.

"So how's the blushing bride? Oh I'm sorry...you weren't a virgin so I don't think you'd be blushing." Twisting around in her chair, she glared at Tom, feeling her hands shaking nervously. "Go away." "Now is that any way to say hello to a fellow coworker Frannie?" He tossed a file on her desk and leered suggestively. "So did Rangerboy fuck you enough?" "I said...go...away." Francesca looked around the bullpen hoping to spot Huey or Dewey. They weren't there and the rest of the officers didn't even pay attention to what was going on.

She gritted her teeth, wishing that she would have pressed charges against him after all. If she had, then everyone would know what a sleaze he was and they wouldn't even let him near her. Since no one knew what Tom had done, no one paid any mind to him dropping off work and talking with her. He moved and leaned casually against her desk, putting himself as close to her as possible. She pushed her chair back and moved to stand, only to have him bring a hand up and push her back down. No one saw him do it or no one cared, she couldn't tell. What if he had spread rumors? What if he had turned everyone against her while she had been gone?

"You know Frannie, if it was sex that you wanted, I would have given it to you with no problem. I thought you wanted to be romanced though. I waited...I waited for you and then you stabbed me in the back." He leaned down, his face only inches from hers. "I waited for nothing because you're a whore. I could have fucked you and dumped your greasy ass and no one would have been pissed. Everyone knows what an easy lay you are." He smiled casually and chuckled as he sat back up. To anyone else it would have appeared as if he were sharing a joke.

Pushing off the desk, Tom smiled, causing Francesca to duck her head down. She didn't want him to see the fear in her eyes. There was no way in hell she'd ever let him know she was afraid. Moving behind her, he rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly. She inhaled sharply as his fingers dug into her skin. "I need that file in about ten minutes. Welsh wants a report from me and I have to get it done in the next hour. You can bring it to my office when it's ready." Lifting his hand, he walked away.

Bringing a hand up, Francesca rubbed at her shoulder, knowing damn well that Tom was getting better at hurting her. She knew he hadn't put enough pressure to leave any marks this time. Even if she told someone, they wouldn't believe her. The only people that did know...she'd be too embarrassed to tell them. She was a grown woman and should be able to take care of herself. Snatching the folder up, she angrily flipped it open and called up the information that Tom requested. He could have done it himself, but he didn't. He used it as an excuse to get to her. To upset her.

Her fingers shook and her hands felt cold and clammy as she wrote down the names and dates. Taking a deep breath she held it, trying not to be sick. Her stomach churned and her mouth watered. Standing, she rushed out of the bullpen and to the woman's bathroom. Shoving the door to a stall open, she dropped to her knees and retched. The bit of tea and toast that she ate for breakfast splashed into the toilet. Gagging, she puked some more until she had the dry heaves.

When the nausea finally lessened, she stood slowly, grabbing onto the stall door to keep from falling down. Taking deep gulping breaths, she steadied herself before walking over to the sink. Splashing cold water on her face and rinsing her mouth out, she looked in the mirror, hating the image of the weak woman before her. She knew that something had to be done about Tom , but what could she do? There was no way she would ever get Fraser involved. He had almost killed the scumbag the last time he had found out what he had done. No...she wouldn't be doing anything.

Toweling her face off, Francesca made her way back to her desk. Picking up the file that Tom had left her, she walked down the hall to his office. As she approached the door, she saw him look up, his face breaking into an evil grin. "Well, well, you got that done awfully fast." She stopped at the door and stared blankly at him. She hated him more than she had ever hated anyone in her life before. She wished he would die. She wished someone would put a bullet through his disgusting head.  
Tom leered at her as he stood. "So, are you going to give 'it' to me or what?" Without even thinking, she threw the folder in his face as hard as she could. It bounced off him and the papers flew across his desk. Stepping forward, she grabbed the pencil holder on the desk top and threw it in his face, then the stapler quickly followed. She smiled in satisfaction as she heard the loud thump it made as it hit his collarbone.

She spat the words out, keeping her voice level. "You stay the hell away from me you son-of-a-bitch. If you ever and I mean 'ever' touch me again, I'll tell Benton and he'll make sure you never come near me again." She wanted to cheer as his face fell in panic. She knew she had struck a nerve with him. His panic changed to rage as he moved around the desk faster than she had ever thought a man his size could move. Grabbing her by the arm, he slammed the door to his office shut and pinned her against the wall. His breath was hot against her cheek as he whispered tightly to her.

"Go ahead and tell that little fuck, see what happens. I'll kill him. I shoot the little prick and dump his ass in the garbage." Placing a hand around her throat, he tightened his grip, cutting off her air. Clawing at his hand, she tried to kick him, only to find herself pushed heavily against the wall. "Try it Frannie...let's hear you scream. Call out for Rangerboy and see if he comes to your rescue." Just as she was about to pass out, he let go of her throat. As she gasped for air, he ran a hand through her hair. "I'm glad you're letting your hair grow longer. You looked too butch with it short."

She flinched at his touch and he chuckled. "Don't worry Frannie, you'll get use to me touching you. Before you know it, I'll have you begging for me to touch you in other places." Leaning down he kissed her roughly. Without thinking, she bit his lip. Shoving himself away from her, Tom grabbed his mouth. "You fucking bitch!" Fumbling with the doorknob, she yanked the door open and ran down the hall. When she realized that he wasn't following her, she leaned against the wall and took deep gulping breaths. Wiping the back of her hand angrily across her mouth, she found herself wanting to throw up again.

Calming herself down, she went back to her desk and sat down. Keeping her head down, she ignored everything around her. If she could make it through the day, every thing would be fine. She could go home and tell Fraser that the moment she got pregnant, she would be quitting her job. Once she did that, she would never have to see Tom's ugly face again. It was the best thing to do she reasoned with herself. She loved her job, but not enough to put up with Tom accosting her any time he felt like it. She reasoned that she'd be too busy with a baby to work any way. She would end it all and her life would go on. Francesca spent the remainder of the day alternating between the bathroom and her desk. Her stomach churned and flopped making her feel sick as a dog. This wasn't how she envisioned her first day back at work. By the time lunch rolled around, she was about to ask Welsh if she could go home sick. Just as she stood to go to his office, Huey and Dewey came in the bullpen. Huey drug a handcuffed man to his desk and practically threw him down in the chair. Taking the handcuffs off of one wrist, he snapped them on the chair's arm and glared down at the man before walking over to Dewey's desk.

Francesca gasped as she saw a female officer bringing in a woman. The cuts and bruises on her face made it obvious what had happened to her. As she was lead threw the bullpen, the cuffed man shouted at her. "Go ahead bitch! Press charges! You do it and I'll make sure you never see the kids again!" The woman cringed and turned her head away as she began to cry. Huey calmly walked over to the man, grabbed him by the shirt collar and lowered his voice. No one could hear what he said, but it had to have been something really good because the man tried to pull away, his face a mask of fear.

Feeling faint, Francesca let out the breath she was holding. Was this how her life was going to be from now on? How had she let take Tom control of her life the way he had? They had never dated, she had never even shown him the slightest interest, but here she was, harassed and abused as badly as the woman that walked slowly out of the bullpen, crying in hysterics. Clenching her fists tightly by her side, Francesca felt herself shaking in anger. She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't let someone control her. It was bad enough that her ex-husband did this to her, but to have a man that she wasn't even involved with do it...no way in hell would she put up with it. Not any more!

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Welsh's office and without knocking, she pulled the door open and stepped in, closing the door behind her. Welsh looked up in irritation as he held a half eaten sandwich up to his mouth. Dropping it to the waxed paper on his desk, he grabbed a napkin and wiped his hands. "And why may I ask did you come in here Miss Vec...I'm sorry...Mrs. Fraser. Why did you come in here without first knocking and announcing yourself?"

Welsh watched as she fidgeted, her face going from anger to indecision. Then she stood up straight and looked him directly in the eye. "I want to press assault and sexual harassment charges against Detective Tom Dougherty." Welsh felt his mouth drop open and he quickly shut it. "Could you please repeat that?" She took a deep breath and stepped forward repeating her statement then she proceeded...in great detail...to tell Welsh every single thing that had happened to her, including the mornings recent assault.

Leaning back in his chair, Welsh ran a hand over his eyes. This was bad. How come these things always happened in his precinct? He knew how Francesca was and he knew she wouldn't have made any of this up, but he had to ask the question any way. "Are you sure about all of this?" Crossing her arms, she glared down at him. "Yes I'm sure and I'm sick and tired of it. I love my job and I'm not letting any Netherland ruin my life like this." Welsh suppressed a smile at her use of words, then grew serious.

"You do know that if you press charges you'll have to testify at his hearing." "Yeah...but I'm tired of it. I don't want to have to come to work every day and put up with this any more. And...what if he's done this to other woman? What if I'm not the only one? He has to be stopped now. I don't care...I'm gonna do this. Will you help me?" Pushing his lunch aside, Welsh opened a drawer and brought a packet of paper out, setting it down with a sigh. "Take a seat Frannie...this will take some time."

Francesca felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of her chest. The tension that had her wound as tight as a spring vanished instantly. The nausea that had sickened her all morning faded. What she was doing was the right thing. She'd have Ray, Fraser, Huey and Dewey all on her side. As Welsh asked her questions and they filled out the report, she also knew that Welsh would back her up as well. She would win this thing. Tom Dougherty would be gone from her life and he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her.

 

Francesca sat in stunned silence, twisting the tissue in her hands to shreds. Tears of anger burned her eyes as Fraser leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Everything will be okay Francesca. I know...I've been through this before." She gave him a wavering smile and as she looked up, her eyes locked with Tom's as he walked by where she, Fraser and Ray were sitting. He smirked at her, his voice low as he passed them. "Protect your own."

Ray went to jump up, only to have Fraser place a restraining hand on his arm. "Don't Ray. There's nothing we can do about it now." "You wanna bet? I can kill the creep." Fraser shook his head and sighed. "I believe I remember you telling me that was not a viable option." Ray pulled his arm away from Fraser and huffed as he stood and glared at Tom's retreating back.

"Yeah...well I was wrong." Francesca stood and wiped a hand over her eyes. "I knew I wouldn't win. I knew it. I was right." She looked at Fraser, her lower lip trembling. "I know what they did to you and you're a cop. I'm nothing...I shouldn't have even bothered." Lieutenant Welsh looked at the down trodden figure standing next to him. He knew that Francesca hadn't lied to him. He knew that Detective Dougherty had a sleazy side to him, but he could never prove it. The man's body was greasier than a pig coated in oil. No matter what predicament he got into, he had always managed to weasel his way out of any trouble. Not this time. Pocketing money at a crime scene was one thing...assaulting a woman was another. Maybe the internal court of the department wouldn't take care of things, but he would. Welsh approached Tom as he stood outside of the precinct building, laughing loudly and joking with some fellow officers. "Excuse me detective, can I have a word with you?" "Sure Lieutenant Welsh." Welsh looked at the other officers. "In private." Tom's smile faded a bit, but he waved the other men away. "I'll talk to you guys after work. How's a beer at Murphy's sound?" Amid more laughs and back thumping, Tom grinned at them as they left and then turned to Welsh. "How can I help you, sir?"

Welsh placed a cold smile on his face as he spoke. "I would like you to put in for a transfer. I hear forty-six has an opening." Tom eyed him and laughed. "Why would I want to transfer? I love it here." Taking a step in, Welsh's smile remained on his face, but his eyes glinted dangerously. "Let's cut the crap Dougherty. I know you did it and I know some of the other things you've pulled before. Save me the trouble and transfer now."

Tom crossed his arms and straightened up, his posture tight. "I didn't touch the bitch, she..." "I don't want to hear your shit. You may be able to play the system, but so can I. I've been a cop since before you were born, so knock it off. You have one week. Put your transfer in or I'll make it so that you'd wish you had never set foot in the twenty-seventh." Tom glared down at Welsh, moving like he was going to punch him.

Laughing Welsh glared at him. "Go ahead Dougherty, hit me. I'm you're superior...how do you think it would look if you hit me? Hum? You didn't think about that did you?" Welsh's smile grew wider as Tom's chest heaved in anger, his hands dropped to his sides, clenching and unclenching. "You can't do this, I've been cleared."

Welsh chuckled. "I can do anything I want to, I'm a lieutenant and you're just a lowly detective. You used your position to do this to Miss Vecchio, pardon me, Mrs. Fraser..." Welsh could see the white hot rage flash through Tom's eyes as he mention the name Fraser. "....now I'm using my position to do this to you." Welsh let his own anger show. "You'll transfer out of my department or I'll watch everything you do. You won't be able to fart without me knowing about it. And how does desk duty sound? I'll make your life a living hell if you're not gone by the end of the week." Tom looked like he was about to explode.

"You can't do this to me. I'll tell them that you're threatening me. "Welsh smiled again. "I can do anything I want to and if you'll notice...there's no one around to witness what I'm saying to you. It's your word against mine. It's kind of like your word against Frannie's and I hate to inform you, but I have friends in higher places than you. I'll be looking for your paper work in the morning." Nodding his head, Welsh smiled brightly, his teeth showing in a feral grin. "You have a pleasant day detective."

As Welsh walked away, Tom seethed in a blind rage. All he wanted to do was run after Welsh and snap his neck. His hatred shifted to Francesca. He talked hotly to himself in a low voice. "Fucking bitch...I'll get her for this...she thinks she can fuck with me like this...I'll give the bitch something to fuck with...god damn cunt...I'll get that fucking faggot too..." He continued muttering to himself as he walked to his car. Slamming the door, he started it and peeled out of the parking lot. He'd get her. He'd make sure that the bitch knew who owned her sorry ass.

 

Francesca breathed deeply as she walked down the sidewalk, her eyes peeking in store windows as she passed by them. She felt light as a feather. Life was great. Life was spectacular. So much had happened in the past few weeks that she had thought that her life would never get back to normal. The fear and apprehension of having to see Tom Dougherty every day at work had vanished. For some unknown reason he had transferred out of the twenty-seventh as soon as the internal investigation on him was finished.

It was all too confusing. He had won. He could have stayed and made her life a living hell, but he didn't. She had badgered Ray and Fraser, trying and find out if either man had threatened Tom and both of them denied it. She had asked Huey, Dewey and Welsh and all of them just shrugged their shoulders and smiled. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," was all that Welsh had said. She smiled up at the midday sun. Welsh was right. Who cared why Tom had left, the point was the bastard was gone and she could stay. She wouldn't have to quit her job.

Hailing a taxi, she stared out the window as it made it's way to the consulate. She and Fraser were going to go out for lunch. Tapping her feet happily on the floor board of the car, she began humming a cheerful tune. By the time the cab pulled up in front of the consulate, she was wound up. Stepping out of the cab, she paid the driver and bounced up the steps. Stopping in front of Turnbull, she grinned broadly at him.

"Isn't it a beautiful day, Ren!?" He stood perfectly still, not a muscle twitching. She shook her head and patted him on the chest. "It's okay, I know Meg would have a flaming fit if you answered me. I'll see you at dinner tonight. Ma's makin veal and stuffed shells."

Walking into the building, she listened to her heels clicking on the polished floor, the sound echoing loudly in the quiet building. Spotting Fraser at the end of the hall, she quickened her steps. Fraser looked up from the paperwork in his hands, he face lighting up as he saw her. She still couldn't believe that he was hers. Walking up to him, she was enveloped in a hug. Giving him a kiss, she hugged him tightly.

Pulling away, she took him by the hand and led him into his office. Before closing the door, she peeked down the hall to make sure no one was around. Content that they had their privacy, she closed the door. "Sit down, I have something for you." Fraser gave her a curious look as he sat down. Grinning, Francesca pulled out a small box from the paper bag that she was carrying. It was wrapped in silver foil and had a gold bow on it. She handed it to Fraser who smiled as he took the package.

"What is this for?" "Just open it." She smiled down at him and he couldn't help smiling back. He could tell that it was something special by the way she was acting. Carefully unwrapping the box, he opened the lid and looked in. His face grew confused as he pulled out a stuffed rabbit. Setting the box down, he held the toy in his hands, studying it as he spoke. "Francesca, why did you give me the stuffed rabbit that Ray gave me for Christmas? And what is this for?" There was a small rope tied around it's neck.

"Benton, hold it by the rope." She grinned as Fraser held the end of the rope, watching the stuffed rabbit as it slowly swung from side to side. Fraser looked up at her blankly. Francesca sighed and rolled her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't get it." Looking directly at him, she held a hand up. "See this?" Fraser looked at her still not knowing what was going on. "Yes." "What is it?" "It's your right hand." He stared back at her totally lost.

Francesca smiled brightly at him, then her face grew serious, her tone somber. "Benton, you are now looking at the hand that rules the world." She stared at Fraser waiting for his reaction. "The hand that rules the world...where have I...ah, yes." He smiled back at her, the confusion leaving his face. "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that..." As his voice trailed off she saw his eyes grow wide with understanding. She giggled. "I see you finally figured it out."

Before she had a chance to say anything else, Fraser threw the stuffed rabbit down and jumped up from his chair. Grabbing her, he picked her up and hugged her tightly. Then just as quickly he set her down, holding her hands in his, he backed slightly away. He had the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen. "When...I mean how...well, I know how, but...are you sure?" He was practically jumping in place he was so excited. Francesca found herself laughing at him. "I knew you would be excited, 'cause I sure was!"

Squeezing her hands in his, she felt tears welling in her eyes. "I went to the doctor the other day. I had been gettin sick and all...I thought it was because of my nerves...you know...stress from work...and the results came back today. The rabbit died! I'm definitely pregnant Benton, no maybes this time." She pulled a hand from him and poked him in the chest. "You're gonna be a dad!" Fraser grabbed her again and pulled her to him. His voice cracked as he spoke. "And you're going to be a mother."  
When Francesca pulled away from Fraser, she couldn't believe that he was crying. Wiping a tear from his cheek, she smiled. "You are too cute." She felt herself being picked up again and then Fraser spun her around, laughing as he set her down. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be a father." His voice was full of wonder, but Francesca could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. Before she could ask him why, he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

As they broke apart, she felt the giddiness return. She couldn't believe how happy he was. How happy she was. They moved apart and stared at one another grinning like idiots. Fraser picked the stuffed rabbit up from where he had thrown it and turned it over nervously in his hands as he spoke. "Have you told anyone else?" "Nope. I figured I'd tell you and then we could both tell everyone else at dinner tonight."

Fraser stared at the rabbit, shaking his head. "I still can't believe it. We're going to have a baby." He looked up at Francesca, the smile never leaving his face. "How long? I mean...how pregnant are you? Oh, you know what I mean." Francesca bit her lip. "Um...about eight weeks." She watched Fraser mentally calculate the days. He gave her a surprised look. "But that would mean..." "Uh huh. Our little tryst on the stairs when you were...toasted. That's when it happened." She snickered at Fraser as he shook his head, the smile fading from his face.

"I can hardly remember any of it. And Ray...oh dear..." Francesca shrugged her shoulders. "Oh who cares? We're married now. We're gonna have a baby!" She took the stuffed rabbit from him and set it down on the desk. "It doesn't matter when or where Benton and no one's gonna care. We're pregnant!"

Hugging him again, she knew that he wasn't going to worry too much about Ray or anyone else for that matter. When he hugged her tightly against his chest and began laughing she knew that all was right with the world.  
Everything she had ever wanted was hers. She had Fraser and now she had his child. A new chapter in their life together would begin. Now all they had to do was tell their family and get the nursery ready!

To be continued in: "It's Not Exactly Canada, But..."


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